Team RWBY: Year One
by onewritereightnames
Summary: Team RWBY's first year together, picking off a short time after their formation as a team. Mainly focusing on the team, specifically Weiss and Ruby (eventual fem/slash). The girls experience the joys of being in a band, deal with the responsibility of being Huntresses, and find that Beacon is not as safe as they thought it would be. Mix of adventure/romance/slice-of-life/comedy.
1. Chapter 1: Winter's Fury

**A/N: Once again I sit at a desk with the blank page in front of me, all the ideas as of yet still unwritten. Let me make this clear now. I write this for me. I write it because I love it. If you show support for the stories I write I will be further motivated to provide you with quicker chapters. That's all I have to say on that.**

**Now as to what this story is. This will be the first year of team RWBY and the evolution of their relationships and personalities. It will center on Weiss and Ruby often and I am going to ship them eventually but that's just one portion of the story, it is much more than that.**

**Ruby and Weiss. White Rose. Blake and Yang. Friendship. Romance. Music. Fights. Love and Death. Let's do it. **

Chapter 1: Winter's Fury

_In which Weiss trains her close combat skills, is impressed into a band, and has an eventful dinner with her teammates. _

Weiss swung her leg in a low arc, and her charging opponent crashed to the floor. She watched him rise unsteadily, tottering with pain and exhaustion. She could tell their fight was almost at an end. She crossed her arms and stood in front of him, ready to call an end to the battle.

"Surrender?" she asked.

In answer his knee slammed into her diaphragm and ribs, and the air rushed out of her lungs.

_"Idiot" _she thought.

She gasped and coughed, struggling to replace the lost oxygen. Her opponent straightened himself and grinned as he watched her gulp at the air. She focused her eyes on the grin to keep the pain from making her surrender. His grin was one of smug satisfaction, even one of pride. She felt anger and disgust become a maelström in the pit of her stomach, and suddenly the pain was gone. Adrenaline spread through her system, and she curled her hand into a fist. The uppercut caught him on his own unguarded midsection, and he went crumbling to the floor.

She launched a well-aimed kick at his dominant hand and she connected with his wrist, deadening the hand temporarily. He yelped in pain, no longer a supporter of the kind of ambush he had just sprung on her. She knelt over him and the blood pounding in her ears bid her to send her clenched fist into her opponents nose with a crunch. A jet of blood spurted from his nostrils and he swore as colorfully as any sailor, a sure sign of a broken nose.

Weiss narrowed her eyes at the beaten boy and simply shook her head. She straightened herself and left him lying there, knowing he was beaten. She could have kept hitting him, vented her anger onto his face time and time again, but she was not that kind of fighter. She defeated her opponents with the proper amount of force and no more, to beat on someone after they were defeated would be brutish. Breaking the boy's nose was revenge for the cheap shot he had managed to land. Besides, she knew the proctors would have gotten angry with her if she had done anything more to a defeated opponent.

As if summoned by her thoughts the teacher presiding over hand-to-hand combat walked out onto the small fighting stage.

'Miss Schnee, that was a rudimentary mistake by letting your guard down. Though you did win the fight I must dock you several points for leaving yourself open to a potentially fatal hit. Say that had been an opponent with a hidden blade, such a wound could easily kill if aimed correctly. Somebody please go get a healer for Mr. Winchester, and Ms. Schnee I would also advise that you too see a healer soon."

Weiss cursed her stupidity yet again after hearing that she would be losing several points, but offered no complaint. She was never the type to argue with the teachers at Beacon or her previous schools. And additionally Weiss was simply too drained, the adrenaline in her system now worn off.

As she walked past the outer ring of classmates who had been observing her fight she heard her fellow members of team RWBY shout out congratulations to her. She gave a half wave to them and continued past Ruby and the others, wanting to see a healer before rejoining them during classes. The healer turned out to be a Beacon senior who was training to become a healer, and claimed to have the full support of Copraz, the school's Master of the Healing Arts. Weiss was too wearied from her fight to bother with demanding to see Copraz, which she likely would have done in other circumstances. The student seemed adept enough though, and soon Weiss felt the pain in her ribs fade away, though she still felt slightly out of breath.

"Huh, that's odd. You seem to have a slightly shallow breathing patter, yet your lungs haven't been hurt directly. Are you asthmatic?" he questioned.

"No, and I've never had any severe respiratory diseases in the past" she said.

"Hmm, well if you notice any unusual shortness of breath or pain in the lungs come see me or Copraz immediately. Otherwise you should be ready to get back to it, have a good day."

"Thanks" she said, and took her leave.

It was nearly three in the afternoon when Weiss exited the healer's building. The fall day was cool and breezy, which was perfect as far as Weiss was concerned. Living in wintery White Castle for so many years had made her come to embrace cold and snow, so fall at Beacon felt warm to her.

"_Though I have to admit I love the gardens here, I'll be sad to see them wilt in the winter."_

Weiss heard the clock tower toll out that it was now three and realized that her final period class must have just concluded. Weiss was confident that one of her new teammates had explained that she was occupied visiting the healer, which was not an uncommon occurrence at Beacon. Normally Weiss would have felt worried knowing that she had missed a full period of class, but she had good cause to be absent. Plus she would always be able to get the notes of one of her teammates later that night.

_"I should probably ask Blake for them, she does really well in Vale History. I certainly won't ask Ruby for her notes, probably just a bunch of sketches and childish drawings. Maybe if she put half as much effort into her studies as she puts into her combat training she wouldn't be asking Blake and I questions right before the quizzes. Though that one drawing of Professor Dovetree made me laugh" _she thought.

Surprisingly Weiss did not have much homework for the night and decided that she could afford to spend some extra time practicing her music. As a young girl her parents had exposed her to as many instruments and musical trainers as money could buy, and so Weiss was quiet the versatile musician besides being just a vocalist. Weiss's favorite instruments were the violin, the acoustic guitar, and the piano. She was best with the violin, but had the most fun with the guitar. The piano was an excellent way for her to remember her music theory lessons and accompany her own singing. It was also a reminder of her mother.

But such somber, reflective thoughts were too heavy for a day that was bright, cool, and homework free. So Weiss selected one of the guitars from the music room and began to play. One of Weiss's favorite discoveries at Beacon was that the several music rooms and all their equipment were open to the entire student body. She only needed to sign her name on a magical notebook that would activate a charm, causing the desired instrument to appear nearby. If anything broke, disappeared, or was moved out of school grounds without permission the school could easily track both the instrument and the person who had most recently played it. Weiss approved of the clever use of magic, and found herself more and more often within the music rooms after classes had let out. Playing music was a journey back to the golden era of her childhood.

Childhood for Weiss had included playing with her dogs in the crisp snow, learning to read with her mother, and mugs of hot chocolate at sunset with her father. Her father had never been a fan of coffee, despite her mother's many attempts to convert him. He would often liken the taste of coffee to the taste of yellow snow, which would send Weiss into a fit of giggles every time. Weiss's life at Castle White had been straight from the pages of a princess book, as perfect as the unbroken snow that stretched for miles in each direction.

Everything had changed for Weiss two years prior, and she had realized that her childhood was finally over. Her first experience with death had broken the perfection, and Castle White loomed with somber shadows now. Weiss felt it so poignantly that she had begged her father to let her go to Beacon, the distance and rigor of the school eased her from the constant reminders of her mother. Even before the school term had begun Weiss had been staying in Vale, preparing eagerly for the beginning of her studies to become a huntress.

_"I have to call Dad again soon, he doesn't even know that I've been assigned to a team. I hope he's doing well, he didn't sound so healthy last time we spoke..."_

Weiss's musing were interrupted by the sound of voices from the next room, which was also used for music. Normally nobody else came down to the music rooms at this time of day, people were usually training, studying, or among their friends outside. The only other students that Weiss had bumped into were members of the school's band and orchestra, or occasionally the director of music. What she heard now was a group of people talking and preparing with various instruments. The tuning of a bass guitar, electric guitars being plugged into amps, and the sound of a drum kit being tested drifted through the walls.

Weiss's curiosity was now firmly aroused and she walked over to investigate. She peered through the door that connected the two rooms and recognized the members of the band. Blake held a sleek bass in her hands and plucked at the strings as she looked at a tuner mounted on the end of the instrument. Nora was chattering nonstop about yet another one of her odd dreams, an electric guitar strap on her shoulder. Yang twirled a pair of drum sticks in one hand and adjusted the drum kit set out before her. Lastly there was Ruby, who was fairly bouncing with energy, a microphone clutched in her hands. Weiss was very curious to find out what exactly was happening, so she continued to look through the doorway.

Nora began to strum large, distorted chords, and was soon accompanied by the deep thrums of Blake's bass playing. Yang began to play a steady beat, and was soon followed by Ruby's singing.

Ruby was loud, energetic, and sang quickly rather than dragging out the notes. Weiss noticed that Ruby's face was still happy as she sang, but at the same time was more serious than usual. All of their heads bobbed the tempo of the song as they played and suddenly Weiss found herself nodding along too. What they were playing was clearly metal, but it wasn't what she has usually heard. Ruby was neither guttural nor screaming as she sang, and the low, rumbling guitar was actually pleasant, instead of abrasive.

Weiss was attempting to decipher the words that Ruby was singing when Ruby spotter her peering in the doorway. Weiss's cheeks blushed warmly when she saw Ruby break off the song to wave at her excitedly. She ran up to the door Weiss was peering through and yanked it open with a smile.

"Weiss? I didn't know you liked metal! Is this where you keep disappearing to every day after school? Hey what's that in your hand?"

The river of words tumbling from Ruby's mouth suddenly hit a dam and stopped. Ruby's eyes opened wide when they lighted on the guitar still clutched in Weiss's had and she let out a gasp.

"YOU PLAY THE GUITAR!? We need another guitarist for the band, now we can all practice together and it'll be sososo awesome. You can play an electric one too right? I'll lend you some of my CDs so you can hear the kind of sound that we're trying to get. This is gonna be sweeeeeeeet, welcome to the band Weiss!"

"Hey wait a second, who said I wanted to be a part of your stupid band? I don't even like metal, it so loud and obnoxious, only degenerates listen to that kind of music" said Weiss.

"Oh you can't fool me with your ice cold attitude Weiss, I saw you getting into it don't you even try to deny it. I can always tell when people get into music, just another of my special talents" said Ruby.

By then the other girls had walked over and were nodding and smiling as Ruby spoke.

"C'mon Weiss, it'll be fun. We'll be both a team and a band" said Yang.

"Plus me! And the rest of team JNPR will come to all of our shows, voluntarily or not" said Nora.

"But I can't just get a bunch of tattoos and weird piercings all over the place, I don't want to look like a gangster or a cultist. And my last name means white, I can't just change my wardrobe into all black like some kind of vampire" protested Weiss.

"Oh for crying out loud Weiss, look at us. Do we look like we're about to change into a bunch of delinquents?" said Yang.

"Pleaaaaaasee Weiss? You don't have to stay if you don't like the band but just give us a chance huh?" said Ruby.

Weiss felt guilty about how defensive she was being, and knew that the other girls were sincere. She chewed her lip for a moment and then caved when she saw the excitement in Ruby's eyes. There was a positive energy that radiated from Ruby like the warmth of sitting near a fireplace. Weiss let it engulf her.

Nora helped Weiss select an electric guitar to play and soon the two of them began to practice chords and riffs together, improving steadily. Weiss was too inexperienced with the band's music to jump straight into practice so Ruby had her listen for the rest of their set.

After practice the girls promised to help Weiss adjust to playing in a band as the week went on and dates were decided. But before finishing for the day the girls asked Weiss to show her abilities with the electric guitar. She was both flattered and happy when the others began to applaud and shout after the display.

"Where did you learn to play guitar like that? You were picking and then you were strumming and looked some calm and cool the entire time" said Ruby.

"My parents hired a tutor for me when I was young and I've kept playing since then. I play piano too, and know a good deal of musical theory. Anybody can learn it honestly, I'm nothing special" said Weiss.

"Then its settled, you'll become Ruby's guitar teacher" said Yang.

"Wh-what!? I never said anything about knowing how to teach guitar, don't be ridiculous. Besides why can't Nora teach her, she played really well during your set" said Weiss.

"Well I know how to play, yeah. But I really can't explain what it is I'm doing or how I do it. Guess I was born with a talent for guitar. Just like my talent for hurting things with my hammer."

Nora's smile was sweeter than syrup and equally serious.

"Well... alright, I guess I could teach you Ruby" said Weiss.

"You're the best princess" said Ruby, wrapping the other girl in a hug.

"Ruby stop with that ridiculous nickname, it'll never catch on. And put me down! stop acting so brutish" said Weiss.

Despite not having much of a choice in the matter Weiss was glad that she was now in the band. She had wondered what it would be like to be a part of a band before. Now she would find out.

Weiss was walking from the music room with her new band when a question popped into her head.

"So what's our name?" asked Weiss.

"What do you mean?" said Ruby.

"The name of the band, obviously. You do have a name right?" said Weiss.

"Nope" said Ruby.

Weiss stopped as Ruby skipped on down the hallway. But instead of growing frustrated like she normally would Weiss smiled and shook her head. Ruby's happiness was infectious.

When evening fell later that night Weiss sat at dinner with her teammates and the members of team JNPR. The dining hall hummed and clattered as students chatted and downed their meals. Weiss chose one of the plates of fish from the menu and soon it appeared on the table before her. More of Beacon's clever magic.

Weiss's stomach growled louder than any Ursa, but she still ate in small bites with a hand on her napkin. Blake ate at nearly the same pace as Weiss did, spooning soup into her mouth slowly. Yang didn't make a mess, but it was clear there was no holding her back from the burger she was biting into. Ruby, who sat to Weiss's right, and Nora were apparently having a competition to see who could devour a stack of rips quickest and every possible pretense of politeness had been abandoned.

Weiss watched, amused, when she felt her breathing shorten. It felt like her ribs were tightening, squeezing her lungs for every drop of sweet air. Her vision began to swim and then began to fade as Weiss struggled to lock eyes with someone, anyone. She stood up and felt the agonizing emptiness of her lungs override every other thought. Her shout for help came out as a whisper and she desperately tried to hit Ruby on the back.

The last thing she saw was Ruby turn around, mouth stuffed with meat, splotches of barbeque sauce on her face.

_"Don't let that be the sight I ever see, oh please don't." _

Weiss's felt herself tip backwards, falling into an ocean of night.


	2. Chapter 2: Thresholds

**A/N: Before I begin this chapter on Team RWBY I would like to give a little insight to you, the reader. After reading a book on writing I have set myself a goal of writing a minimum of 1000 to 1200 words each day. I expect the average chapter length to vary from 3000 to 4000 words, probably on the lower side. So given these I would tentatively say that I will release a chapter every three to four days. I say tentatively because I am a senior in high school with several AP classes and so often busy. Reviews and I suppose direct messages (if that's even a popular thing on fanfic I'm not sure) would spur me to write consistently. **

**So thank you to the kind sir/madam who gave me my first review, I hope you enjoy this chapter and forgive my rather wordy introductions.**

**A final note, "~~~" after a passage designates a change in perspective. **

Chapter 2: Thresholds

_In which one of our heroines trembles at the threshold, a first kiss is given, and an unexpected guest arrives._

Ruby was winning. She was more than two-thirds finished with her plate of ribs while Nora was only a bit more than half-finished. Though Ruby was both shorter and weighed less than Nora her appetite was, and always had been, huge.

Ruby was well-known for constantly rising early in the mornings, never wanting to stand still or slow down. Everyday at home she had trained, honing the skills and techniques that her uncle had taught her, and she had trained with him every time he had come to visit. She had not seen Qrow for two years, nobody had, in fact. But Ruby was sure that wherever he was he would be able to take care of himself with the same fighting skills he had passed to her.

At home Ruby had even been allowed to help her father keep the local Beowulf population under control, fighting entire packs. As a result of her constant training and refusal to remain still she was always famished for meals.

At Beacon her habits had not changed. Ruby would often spend the time given for traveling to her next period class by doing various stretches and exercises before the bell rang. At first it had irritated and annoyed teachers, but they soon realized that it wasn't meant as a prank or distraction. And, of course, Ruby regularly sparred with anyone willing to match her.

The constant upkeep of her strength and agility was what allowed her to save Weiss's life.

When Ruby felt the weak tug on her cloak she had turned her head, curious. As soon as she saw Weiss swaying above her, an animal-like panic in her eyes, Ruby had nearly choked. She managed not to, and instead swallowed the rest of her food quickly.

"Weiss? Weiss are you okay!?" someone shouted.

Ruby heard more shouts of surprise begin to spread and bent at Weiss's side, pushing the sounds out of her mind. She searched for any sing of injury, trying to discover what could have hurt her friend so badly so quickly. She pressed her ear to Weiss's chest and heard faint, irregular beating. Ruby noticed with even more horror that Weiss's chest was not falling or rising.

_"I've been a team leader for a bit more than a week and now one of my teammates is dying on the floor" _she thought.

She scooped Weiss into her arms and began to sprint towards the nearest exit, certain that she had no time to spare. More cries of shock and dismay rose from the other students at dinner as she jumped from table to table, heading towards the nearest exit. She recognized headmaster Ozpin standing in the doorway just before she knocked him over in her sprint. She did not dare slow, and rushed outwards into the cool night.

She hurried past Beacon tower, through the various residential halls, past the gardens, and crashed through the entrance to the Healer's Ward with her shoulder. The door flew open with so much force that it fell from its hinges and hit the floor with a thunderous boom.

"Somebody help, my friend Weiss collapsed at dinner and she's not breathing! I'm not sure what's wrong with her, she could be dying" shouted Ruby.

A mature Faunus with elk horns protruding from his head rushed out of an office at her dramatic entrance.

"Place your friend on one of the bed's here, yes, that's right, just like that. Tell me, did she give any kind of warning to you? Do you have any reason to believe that she may have been allergic to what she was eating? Possibly even poisoned?" demanded the man.

"Nothing, she just stood up and tugged on my cloak. I saw her fall and I could tell she wasn't breathing so I ran as fast as I could" responded Ruby.

"Damien, look at this girl, do you know her?" asked the man.

A Beacon senior appeared by the older healer's side and his face assumed a sickly pallor when his eyes fell on Weiss.

"She's Weiss Schnee, a freshman. I healed a couple cracked ribs today after she was kicked during close combat training. I thought she was fine, honest! I-I, I don't know what happened " said Damien.

"By the Goddess Above boy, why didn't you say so immediately!? Never mind, just find the Headmaster and bring him here _now_, Glinda too" said the man.

"I'm Ruby, her team leader, how can I help?" asked Ruby.

"I'll use my healing magics to relieve the pressure on her lungs. I'm afraid my student was too forceful with the magic he used to mend her ribs, her bones have actually shrunken and are crushing her lungs. I should be able to save her, but I'll need you to get her breathing started as I readjust her ribs. By the Goddess, I damn hope you've been paying attention in your basic Medic courses" he said.

"Got it, just tell me when to start. Please... save her" said Ruby.

"Alright, start the mouth to mouth in three, two, one, now!" he said.

Ruby opened Weiss's mouth and then pressed her mouth to her friends, sealing them together. She attempted to breathe life into her friend while watching the professor, whom she did not know, work. His calloused hands hovered over Weiss's chest, and a red glow emanated from them. The opaque red light then fell slowly, as if a fog was descending upon Weiss. It slowly sank into the girl's motionless body and Ruby continued the kiss of life, hoping. ~~~

Weiss was back in White Castle. It was quiet as Weiss traversed the Gothic structure, abnormally quiet. The voices of cooks and workers that had always echoed through the court-yard and halls were absent. Despite the eerie atmosphere Weiss felt calm, even happy. She didn't remember returning to the castle, but that did not trouble her. Her legs were guiding her to some part of the castle she was intimately familiar with. Her family's private quarters.

Her family's quarters inhabited the top fourth of Castle White's grandest tower, each window overlooking the castle. Weiss reached the the tower she had been raised in with a smile on her face and began to ascend the rough, pale steps. She climbed the spiral steps, pausing occasionally to admire the view from the windows of the tower. But whenever she stopped something in her heart seemed to grow impatient, and prodded her to move further upwards. So Weiss climbed and climbed, letting herself be guided by some intangible force.

When she finally pushed against the door to her family's quarters it made the same squeak as always and swung inwards. The foyer was as she had remembered it, quiet and neat. But somehow Weiss knew that her solitary odyssey was not yet at an end. She passed through the adjoining rooms until she came to an oaken door. Her mother's study.

Her heart throbbed, begging her to open the door and once again embrace her mother. But something else stayed her hand. Weiss shook with conflicting emotions, knowing that the door ahead of her was both an end and a beginning. Opening the door would return the joys she had lost. Opening the door would abandon the joys she had found.

Her hands trembled while her mind raced, and she stood, unsure. Weiss was surprised when she saw her hand extend, as if some other soul was commanding her limbs. The deafening silence that surrounded Weiss in front of the looming door ceased when her skin touched the metal of the doorknob. Her head filled with the soft chiming of her mother's voice and the high, nasal tone of her laugh. As soon as Weiss heard the sweet, maternal tones her mind and heart were set.

Weiss had just begun to twist her hand when a set of delicate fingers landed on her wrist. When she turned her head her mouth was captured in a firm kiss. She blinked at the sudden contact of warm, soft lips upon her own. She had never been kissed for so long or with such passion, and found herself enjoying it.

The enjoyment was only fleeting as almost immediately her chest began to flood with an excruciating pain. Her lungs burned with primal desire for more air, and her ribs felt as if they were breaking within her. When she felt a gust of sweet, warm breath snake into her lungs the pain lessened slightly and she was able to take another breath. Then the kiss was broken and Weiss drank greedily from the air. As she soon as enough oxygen was back into her lungs she began to scream, the pain within her bones not waning. Her eyes flew open and she looked upwards, searching for anything or anyone that could ease her pain.

A head face appeared over her and she felt a pair of rough hands on her cheeks.

"Focus on my face, my voice. Study every detail of my face and repeat it back to me. You've nearly made it, you can rest soon but not yet, you need to hold on until the pain has passed."

"Old. You look, old. Something is coming out of your head, I think they're...horns? Horns? Copraz! Copraz please, I can't... pain, 's too much..." said Weiss.

"Her words are slurring and she's slipping into shock. Damn me damn me damn me! What was that adrenaline spell?"

Copraz's words were interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Weiss, stay awake, you have to stay awake!" said Ruby.

But Weiss's eyes were already closing again, and she yearned to return to Castle White and find the oaken door. Her eyes were shutting and the pain was once again fading when the sharp sting of a slap jolted her eyes open. The new pain brought her back from the threshold for the second time, and she looked up into her savior's face. ~~~

Ruby's hand remained upraised, ready to deliver another slap, but she saw that was unnecessary. Weiss's eyes had opened with a new clarity that told of actual consciousness. Ruby lowered her hand and grabbed one of Weiss's dangling hands with it.

"You made it Weiss, you collapsed at dinner and weren't breathing. I was terrified that we had lost you when I felt your... uh, felt your..." said Ruby.

Weiss, though still wincing in pain every few seconds, was coherent enough to catch the hesitancy in Ruby's words.

"When what? What did I do Ruby?" asked Weiss.

"Well I was giving you mouth to mouth, like they taught us in class, and your lips... well they pressed back against mine. I'm sure it was just some kind of involuntary reaction or, something. Anyways, sorry about slapping you" said Ruby.

When Ruby reached the part about Weiss's lips pressing against her own she was certain she saw a blush cross Weiss's face, but it was soon gone. In its place was a look that Ruby had never seen on Weiss before, but still easily recognized.

"Thank you Ruby. I know that's a weird thing to say to someone after they've just slapped you in the face, but still. I think... I think you just helped save my life. Thank you" said Weiss.

"Ehem, I believe some thanks are also due over on this side of the bed Miss Schnee" said Copraz, a benevolent twinkle in his eye.

Weiss looked over at the Faunus healer and seemed as if she were about to laugh. Instead she began to cough heavily and for a second Ruby was worried that Weiss was not yet safe.

"That's fine Miss Schnee, cough it up. Your lungs were under a severe amount of pressure from your improperly mended ribs, I expect you'll be coughing for several days. I'm afraid you'll need to stay in the medical ward for at least two days so I can monitor the spells I used to readjust your ribs. A pity, considering that you'll be missing the Founding Feast. But better alive and bedridden than the dead" said Copraz.

Ruby frowned when Copraz finished, but then reconsidered.

_"If I hadn't been able to carry her so quick, or if Copraz had messed up..." _she thought.

Ruby grabbed Weiss's hand once again and gave it a squeeze.

"Profess Copraz is right, about giving him some thanks I mean. He saved your life after all" she said.

"Ruby, please. Almost dying has not made me forget my manners. Thank you very much Professor, I owe my life to you. And you too Ruby, I wouldn't be here if you hadn't helped the Professor" Weiss said.

Clapping came from the doorway and Ruby spun to see Ozpin standing in the room with them. His signature green scarf was stained with coffee and Ruby's heart sank when she saw the extent of the stains. Ozpin's sharp eyes must have noticed where she was looking as he began to smile at her.

"Miss Rose. If you believe that I would punish a student for ruining my scarf in the process of saving another girl's life... perhaps you should seek Copraz's healing powers as well" said Ozpin.

The air hung heavy with a pregnant pause, and was then filled with laughter. Even Weiss managed a couple laughs before lapsing into a small set of wheezes and coughs.

Soon others began to arrive in the Healer's Ward. Glinda arrived soon after Ozpin and helped Copraz to set up spells for Weiss's comfort and continued monitoring. She also repaired the door that had been a casualty of Ruby's haste, stemming the flow of crisp night air into the room. Almost as soon as it had been repaired the door burst open with another violent noise as teams RWBY and JNPR arrived, spearheaded by Nora.

Weiss frowned at the new arrivals and shook her head.

"This is a Healer's Ward, not the sparring grounds. If you're going to behave like Neofaunts and stomp about then I will ask for you to be removed" she huffed.

"Wait a second, I thought Weiss was hurt? How can she possibly be hurt if she's already back to being our resident ice princess?" said Yang.

Weiss attempted to compose her face in a disapproving manner and failed. Instead she smiled at how her friends had arrived to see her with such speed and determination. To Ruby's surprise she was told that only ten minutes had elapsed since her dash from dinner. She had been sure saving Weiss had taken at least an hour, perhaps several hours, but that was not the case.

What did end up taking hours was finally getting the Healer's ward mostly emptied and quieted for the night. Ruby helped Glinda and Copraz to convince the other students to allow Weiss some rest. It was no easy work, as Weiss's friends were determined to spend the night standing guard over their injured princess. But eventually Ruby and the two professors managed to convince them that they would help Weiss more if she were allowed to rest in quiet for the night. And sure enough, soon after the others had left, Weiss fell into a deep slumber.

Ruby noted that her friend's chest rose and fell in the normal rhythm and reasoned that it was time for her to return to the rest of her team.

_"Better let Weiss get to sleep, I'll just head out now. The teachers will probably ask me to go soon anyways" _she thought.

Ruby had just begun to twist the doorknob when Weiss's voice sounded from behind her.

"Ruby, where are you going?" asked Weiss.

"I was going to head back to the dorms for the night and come back tomorrow, to let you get some rest like Copraz ordered" said Ruby.

"That's a load of nonsense Ruby, you know it as well as I do. You played just as much of a role in saving my life as Copraz did, if any should get to remain here it should be you" said Weiss.

By the time she had finished Ruby had walked returned to the foot of Weiss's bed. Weiss was quiet for a moment longer, as if carefully weighing her next words.

"I guess I can't force you to stay, especially after all you've done for me today. But I really think it would help to have my best friend nearby while I recover" finished Weiss.

"Of course I will, as long as I'm allowed by Copraz. And so long as you meet my two conditions. The first is that you promise to give me guitar lessons as soon as you're out of that bed" said Ruby.

She could tell that Weiss was a little taken aback, but the other girl only nodded and spun her hand in a 'Go on' gesture.

"The second requirement is that you have to allow me to call you princess."

If Weiss had been taken aback before now her mouth gaped in surprise. Ruby smiled on the inside at achieving the desired effect and waited for her friend's response.

It was not the response she expected.

"Here I was, expecting you to tell me something serious and you think that up. You never give up do you? Well... alright then, its a deal" Weiss sighed.

She stretched her hand out and for a moment Ruby simply stood there, mouth wide. She had expected a refusal, possibly even an emphatic huff. But her befuddlement was brief, and she shook the offered hand.

After their deal was done Ruby closed the curtains around Weiss's bed and climbed onto the bed next door. She felt as if she had not slept in a week and was in need of a nice, long hibernation. Almost as soon as her head hit the thin Healer's Ward pillow she slipped into a deep sleep.

Ruby awoke to the sound of people chatting and a wonderful aroma filling the room. She rubbed sleep from her eyes and was about to climb out of her bed when the privacy curtains were wrenched to the side. Sudden sunlight made Ruby shield her eyes as a figure appeared in the door way.

"Rise and shine sis, heroes like yourself need to wake up early" said Yang.

"I'm getting up, I'm getting up, stop being so pushy. What's that delicious smell?" asked Ruby.

"Chocolate chip pancakes, freshly made by Blake and yours truly. Optional syrup and whipped cream toppings available for a fee" said Yang.

Ruby grinned and followed Yang to a table that had clearly been hauled out from some forsworn storage closet moments earlier. Ruby wasn't sure if she could trust how soundly built the table was, but she had every confidence in Blake and Yang's cooking. The three of them ate while Professor Copraz appeared to check on his patient.

After consuming three pancakes in about as many bites Ruby walked over to Weiss and was glad to see the girl awake and eating her own breakfast. Weiss waved a greeting to her teammates as she spooned a bowl of porridge into her mouth and the four of them were soon immersed in conversation. It was not much later when the door crashed open for a third time and the girl's spun their heads to see what had happened now.

On the threshold stood a bear of a man, who's weight was likely three times Ruby's own. His face was covered with the shadow of a man who had recently shaved and his eyes were full of a manic energy.

As soon as his eyes connected with Ruby's own they charged towards each other and he swept her into a crushing embrace.

Uncle Qrow had returned.


	3. Chapter 3: Fingerprints

**A/N:I was about 2,000 words into this chapter when I saw the recently released episode 15 of RWBY. So I overhauled a few scenes and tweaked some dialogue and what not throughout the chapter. I for the most part have not been following canon, but I will accept the canon that Blake is a fauna and that Weiss is prejudiced against them, though for different reasons then within canon. **

**I will also say that I do miss some typos/syntactical mistakes on initial publishing of a chapter, but I always try to go back into the chapter after and make necessary corrections. "To err is human" after all. **

**Another small aside; I'm rather certain that canon Qrow will be completely unlike my Qrow. But I'll be damned if I'm not going to have fun writing my version.**

**This chapter contains flashbacks and stories, then shifts to a very in-the-moment scene. Just a heads up.**

Chapter 3: Fingerprints

_In which stories are told, our bedridden heroine learns of a tradition, and our eyes turn to the gathering storm. _

"...and then he came at me thinking that without Falcon's Edge I'd be defenseless. Hah! You should've seen the look on his face when I broke his claw off with my bare hands" finished Qrow.

Ruby rolled her eyes at her uncle and then gave him a punch on the arm.

"C'mon Uncle Qrow. You know Yang and I have heard that story almost a hundred times. You told it almost every time you came to visit after all" said Ruby.

"And I'll tell it a thousand more times even if you're the only one for a hundred miles. Such a legendary battle deserves repeating, especially when there are new listeners around" replied Qrow.

Ruby and Yang sighed in unison, knowing their uncle was only slightly joking. Despite having heard the tale so often that they could both recite it verbatim the sisters were always willing to listen again if Qrow was recounting the tale to a new audience.

Blake, Weiss, and even Professor Copraz had decided to hear out Qrow's tale of brawn versus beasts. The two girls had grinned as the story began. Grins soon gave way to wide smiles as the tale became increasingly unbelievable. Soon the two girls had been laughing so hard that Weiss had lapsed into another coughing fit, which had lasted much shorter than previous ones. But the listener laughing loudest and most often was easily Copraz.

"Professor, you don't have to pretend so hard to enjoy my uncle's stories. If I remember right the last time he told that story he fought a pink Arphilopod, not a green one" said Yang.

"Well when you get to my age you'll find that most stories, even the fictitious ones, make you laugh. Or cry. Or both. You never know which story will be the last you ever hear, so you learn to appreciate the stories you do hear even more. Anyways that's beside the point, it _was _a funny story" said Copraz.

"Oh please, if you're a day over sixty I'm an Ursa" said Yang.

"As of earlier this summer I am now 104 years old" replied Copraz.

Team RWBY's jaws dropped. But one member of the team did not seem fazed by the news.

"Fauna are known for living abnormally long lives, though nobody is certain why. Most think that Faunus possess some kind of inherent magic that allows their bodies to live longer. Some... less, open-minded people look down at the Faunus. They say that the only reason they live longer is because they have some kind of magical ability to suck energy from the humans around them. It's a pretty extreme view-point, but there are some who believe that its true, and that the Faunus are animals who leech off of humans" said Blake.

"Some magical ability to leech life from nearby humans? That's absolutely preposterous. When Faunus leech off of their neighbors there's nothing uncertain about why, they're simply slothful rapscallions" huffed Weiss.

"Well I'd say there are just as many slothful humans as there are Faunus. Maybe even more so. And there are certainly more hateful humans than there are hateful Faunus, watching the news for ten minutes can teach you that" said Blake.

"At least these hateful humans you're talking about aren't terrorists like the White Fang. Did you hear about the string of robberies in the city? I guarantee you that the White Fang were behind every single one of those. Soon they'll be rioting in the street and causing another war" said Weiss.

"Well maybe the White Fang are just extremely committed to progress, even if it means breaking the law. Besides, it was humans who caused the war by attempting to set the Faunus apart like some herd of animals" finished Blake.

"I see you girls have certainly learned a lot from your Vale History course. Dr. Oobleck's favorite subject if I recall correctly. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to visit Beacon Tower. I'm afraid there's still the matter of dealing with Damien, and deciding if he is fit to be a healer" responded Copraz.

With that Copraz took his leave and the room grew uncomfortably quiet as Weiss and Blake stared at each other. The silence was only temporary, and soon Ruby's uncle filled the Healer's Ward with yet another story, diffusing the argument before it could continue. Ruby had heard the story many times as well and tuned out her uncle's gravelly voice.

Ruby had never realized that Faunus were so different from humans, or still so discriminated against. Ruby's parents had taught her to accept people of all types and credos, including Faunus. But Ruby had grown up in a small town and the first time she had met a Faunus had been while attending Signal. Ruby reprimanded herself for spending so much class time doodling, she needed to take every part of her studies seriously. The issue was clearly still important and her friends were both heavily invested in the debate.

If Ruby wanted to be an effective team leader and Huntress she needed to understand both the divisive issues of the world and her teammates perspectives on the issues. Ruby knew that a cohesive team was one that communicated well and understood each other.

Ruby did not dwell on the negative though, she never did. Instead her mind began to race with new opportunities.

_"Well I can always talk to Blake or Weiss. They should have all the notes that I need. I can wait a day though, it is a long weekend after all. I can't wait for my first ever Founding Feast tomorrow night" _thought Ruby.

Then she realized that Weiss, who had finally begun to open up to her, would have to miss the next night's festivities. Her festive mood began to falter. Attending the party without Weiss would be wildly unfair, especially after everything that had occurred in the past 24 hours. But not joining the celebration was an equally unappealing option. Ruby struggled to reconcile the two choices but found herself stuck in a mental quagmire.

And then, from the maelstrom of thoughts in her head, an idea appeared. ~~~

Weiss felt infinitely better than she had in the wake of her ordeal the previous night. Her ribs still gave the occasional ache and her lungs still pained her slightly, but otherwise she felt great. The pain was a reminder that she was alive and recovering, no longer teetering on the threshold. Early in the morning Professor Copraz had examined her progress and said that he expected to release her back to her dorm the next day, provided she stayed in bed to recuperate.

But other signs of her ordeal lingered, one being the gap in her memory. She could recall sitting down for dinner and could even describe the taste of her meal. After tugging at Ruby's cloak the next moment she remembered was the slap that had prevented her from going into shock. It was if somebody had simply snipped a reel of film and then rejoined the misshapen ends with a piece of tape.

Weiss did not let the missing hours bother her, she had many reasons to happy, not the least of which was her friends' display of dedication. Her friends had been determined to stay by her side and had only left after Glinda and Copraz had threatened to revoke their status as students.

Weiss had not cried for nearly two years. Last night she had almost been overcome with emotion, but managed to keep her composure. She did not want her friends to worry that she was sick, or, worse, see her as a weak little princess in need of a savior.

_"The only knight who ever visited my castle was the one I defeated to prove that I could handle training to become a Huntress. And underneath all that shining armor was nothing at all, just air and illusions. Just like every other knight or prince in the fairy tales"_ thought Weiss.

Weiss did not hate men, nor did she hate knights or princes. What she did hate was the idea of any man who waltzed in with handsome looks, gleaming armor, and made the princess swoon. As Weiss had grown up she had realized that the more a man focused on his appearances and ability to swoon women the more apt he was to be only a mirage. From a distance they seemed to be men that were worth swooning over, ever handsome and well spoken. But they turned out to be no men at all.

When Weiss was a girl at White Castle a sweet, handsome Faunus man had visited, as so many others did. He had rented an apartment, in truth White Castle was more akin to a tiny town with walls, and was soon well-known for his story telling. The man had even put on a show especially for the children of the castle, including Weiss.

It had been a wonderful show, full of stories both amusing and terrifying. Weiss had even confided to her mother that she hoped to one day marry a man as funny and handsome as the visitor.

But several days later Weiss had been snacking in the square when a girl's scream had erupted from the kitchens. Weiss had watched as the Faunus had been led away by the guards, and had never seen him again. Her mother had only explained the truth of the matter several years later, and Weiss learned to mistrust anyone that seemed too perfect. Two years prior Weiss's father had trusted a new Faunus company despite how much Weiss had urged him not to. He had ignored her and her mother had died.

From that point on she had developed a habit for studying people critically before trusting them, Faunus especially. Her experience judging others made it simple to discern how genuinely kind and honest Qrow was as soon as she had met him. His uncouth entrance into the Healer's Ward had woken her with the crash of the door breaking for a second time. She had sat up on the bed and pulled the cord that opened the privacy curtains surrounding her bed. She had been rewarded with the sight of Ruby being nearly crushed in an embrace from a grizzled man who was nearly twice Weiss's height.

"The night I return from a two-year trip inside the wilderness I get word that you're in the Healer's Ward, so I rush over here. Now I'm here and you look perfectly fine. Did you already jump out of bed? Couldn't stand to stay bedridden?" Qrow had asked.

"Do I look like I'm hurt? Stop being so dramatic Uncle Qrow, I'm not here for my injuries. One of the girl's on my team, by the way I'm on a team and also we're a band, got hurt so I ran here and broke the door down and we had to save her, so Professor Copraz was doing this _crazy_ magic with his-"

"Woah woah woah Ruby. Slow down huh? Did I hear the part about you saving your teammate right?" said Qrow.

Weiss watched as Ruby took an enormous breath and attempted to calm herself down. It was clear that the girl was ecstatic to see her uncle. Weiss had thought it was endearing, even cute, to see Ruby reacting so happily to her uncle's visit.

Weiss had watched Ruby recount the entire tale to her uncle and was surprised when, at the end of the story, Qrow had approached her bed. His face had been serious and his voice solemn.

"I understand my niece helped save your life tonight" Qrow had said.

"Yes, she did" Weiss had responded.

"Do you understand the implications of what's happened? In the Vale tradition you are known bound together, soul and blood. Your destinies and lives are bound together with the deepest kind of magic" he had said.

"What!? Are you trained in the magic arts? Is there some kind of connection now that if she dies I will? I've never heard of anything like this, I-I..." said Weiss.

Qrow's serious face had then begun to falter, transforming into a smile. Behind him Ruby and Yang had begun to giggle, even Blake had difficulty in containing her mirth.

Weiss had been prepared to throw anything in reach at the four of them. Then she had begun to smile herself and, if not for another coughing fit at that moment, she likely would have burst into laughter as well. When she had regained her breath she had looked up at the man to see his face serious again, but still smiling.

"A little advise about us members of the Rose family. There's only one thing that we do more consistently than joking with others. When someone watches out for us we do the same for them. Having someone to watch over you is not just a great thing to have in life, it's necessary." ~~~

"Masks on."

Roman Torchwick placed his own mask on as twenty other fighters behind him did the same. The masks were an ivory color, with a red wolf painted in bloody strokes. The group of men and women wore black military gear, various packs and weapons were visible on their hips and slung over their shoulders. Every one of them, including Torchwick, also sported some sort of animal characteristic. Some wore tails, other's had various types of ears or horns sprouting from their heads.

"Remember the plan. Mayhem, not murder. Our chief aims are sabotage and panic. In a word, chaos. On my mark, descend" commanded Torchwick.

The group with him now were members of his own personal guard, not bumbling local thugs like in his earliest heists. Those thugs had been expendable, simply bait to assess the skills of the Qrow's niece. Hiring local muscle was excellent for small or unimportant jobs, but this night required real talent.

Roman gave the signal and jumped off the side of the skyscraper. He free fell for several seconds and then his harness tightened, slowing him. He repelled down the building quickly, one hand clutching his rope, and his team kept with the pace he set. Luckily Torchwick and his crew only needed to descend several stories to reach where they were headed. Torchwick stopped above a row of brightly lit windows and signaled to his team to draw their weapons. He kicked himself off the side of the building again and gave his rope a bit of slack, allowing him to swing in a tight arc through the window.

His boots shattered the window and he unclipped his harness while still swinging inside the room. He rolled forward as he landed, they had practiced this maneuver many times. To his left and right his team crashed into the room and began to throw the black canisters on their belts. People scattered and screamed within half a second of Torchwick's entrance, but it was not nearly quick enough.

The green smoke hissed forth from the canisters and quickly expanded to fill the room. Men and women collapsed as they tried to sprint away and shouts of panic soon gave way to silence. Torchwick's team were elite and professional, they tied up the people quickly as others began to move further into the giant room. The room was an opulent hall near the top of one of the tallest buildings in all of Vale. It was famously known for the number of politicians and other prominent figures who had rented the hall for their functions. The group who had rented it this night were some of the most outspoken and wealthy families in all of Vale, and each was well-known for their position on the issue of Faunus rights. All of them were staunchly against the movement for more Faunus rights. Almost every day one of them would decry the White Fang as terrorists in the local newspapers.

This had made them an almost ridiculously convenient target to strike.

"_With one strike we can rob all of these people of finger prints, identification cards, and maybe even some black mail material" _thought Torchwick.

Even though Torchwick was a thief at heart he realized that this attack would do something greater for the cause he served.

"The Baroness must have spent a while devising this play, I'd say it's almost foolproof" said one of Torchwick's guard.

Usually Torchwick would have reprimanded the man for speaking without orders, but now he was in high spirits.

"That's why she thinks of the plans and not us, we're just the guys who do the dirty work" replied Torchwick.

_"It's not like she really needs the extra muscle. She could probably level this entire city block if she felt like it, but these guys don't know that. They may be excellent thieves and soldiers, but they really have no idea what kind of game is really being played here" _thought Torchwick.

Only several minutes had passed since Torchwick and his team had breached the room, but the operation was already almost completely finished.

"Boss, swat teams have entered the lower levels. They responded faster than we predicted, we have to get going" said another masked thief.

"All of you start back up the side of the building and ready the helicopters. Number four and number seven, get over here now. Time to place the icing on the cake" said Torchwick.

Among the multitude of guests who had been in attendance was the chief of police, who was famous for loathing the White Fang. Number seven's job had been to find the chief among the knocked out crowds and bring him over to Torchwick, which he had done. Number four was leading the extra member of their party, the only one not in military gear.

She had been eager to sign up for the White Fang several years ago, and had joined when the organization was still peaceful. As the movement for Faunus rights had escalated the skilled girl had not been against robberies and other sabotage, though she refused to participate in any kind of violence against people. Roman had learned all of this through his contacts in the real White Fang. After that it had been simple to trick her into his non-existent sect of White Fang with ease, and she had bought every lie he had sold her. As far as she had been told earlier that night she was to assist on yet another robbery, which was partially true.

The Baroness herself had appeared at the staging area for Torchwick's operation and had hypnotized the Faunus girl without the slightest bit of effort. The girl had followed number four automatically the rest of the night, and now Torchwick would use her to complete the Baroness's plan.

He pulled the girl's pistol from her leg holster and remembered that the rest of her blade remained where she was living.

"Cover your ears boys" Torchwick said.

He flipped the safety off with his thumb, pointed it at the unconscious chief's chest and squeezed the trigger twice. He then took out a small vial of neon green liquid and poured it onto the pistol, which began to smoke slightly. He dropped the gun by the body, but was sure not to let it close to the spreading pile of blood.

"Hey boss, I thought the whole point of having this real Faunus with us was so her prints would show up when the cops find the gun" said one of the soldiers.

"Shut up idiot. The acid is a special mixture that will make it difficult for the forensics teams to get the exact match quickly, but they will be able to tell its a Faunus. A little mystery should create even more chaos in the city" said Torchwick.

He took out a notepad and scribbled a small message, which he then tucked into the girl's pocket.

"The two of you know what to do next, return her to the outskirts of Beacon Academy, she'll do the rest of the return trip in her trance. Get caught and you will never see a trial, understand?" said Torchwick.

"Yes, of course boss" they said together.

"Excellent. I'll see you at the rendezvous in about two hours then" said Torchwick.

A few moments later he sat in the copilot seat of a speeding helicopter with a grin. The radio chatter from the swat teams was exactly the reaction the Baroness had predicted.

Soon the streets would flow red and ring with the sound Roman Torchwick knew the Baroness loved best. Hate.


	4. Chapter 4: Riots and Feasts

**A/N: This chapter is heavily inspired by a mix of sources. Firstly, "And So I Watch You From Afar" and their self-titled album. Secondly, "Baroness" ( I wonder where that villain name came from) who play some awesome metal. Lastly, mowing the lawn. As I mow the lawn I get all sorts of ideas, many of them for stories. Must have to do with being so bored while I'm pushing a machine around. A couple other notes while I'm here:**

**Thank you for all the support in reviews, follows, favorites, keep it up y'all!**

**This chapter will focus on Blake and Yang a bit for those of you who ship Blang. (You said this was a Ruby/Weiss fic!) Yes, I did, and we'll get there together, don't worry. **

**For those of you have been asking yourselves, "What about the whole 'we're a band now' thing?" fret no more and read on.**

**The series has not yet established how magic works or just who can use it, so I've gone with a broad interpretation. Meaning that everyone has magical potential but only some, like Huntresses (Glinda) and medics/doctors (Copraz) can use it really well. The students at Beacon are learning to use magic. **

**Finally, I'm going to post a poll today which you can either answer or not answer. I'm curious as to if you think I am a guy or girl, so weigh in if you'd like to assuage my curiosity. **

Chapter 4: Riots and Feasts

_In which our favorite Faunus bleeds, a walk is taken, and the Rose gives the Winter a new perspective._

"...still unsure of the identity of the killer, but certain that the fingerprints are Faunus in origin."

"Reports of heavily armored police clashing with the Faunus rioters confirmed by multiple videos and eyewitness accounts..."

"Faunus rioters still occupy Ponce Square after multiple clashes with police this morning and continue to..."

"Acting Chief of Police Thayer Arlington is struggling to deal with Faunus police officers fighting with their fellow officers, furthering the chaos."

"...when Mayor Petrarch declared the city in an active state of emergency early this morning, causing..."

Blake continued to change the stations on her radio but only heard more news on the developing crisis. Not a single station played music or coverage of anything but the dire situation in the city. When yet another station repeated that the White Fang had claimed responsibility for the attack Blake smashed the radio with her fist. Only then did she start to weep.

She had woken up that morning feeling nauseous and with a splitting headache, worse than any she had ever had. Her memory of the night had come back quickly and she could recall preparing for the robbery with the White Fang.

_"I was about to change into my military gear when somebody came into the tent. I remember seeing her arms covered in tattoos that seemed to be glowing red. But after that there's nothing but when I woke up" _Blake had thought.

After that she had realized she was wearing her regular outfit, even her boots were still on. She had checked herself for any sign of injury and had found none. Then she had checked her gear and had found her holster empty, a folded piece of paper in place of her pistol.

"Turn on the radio at 8am" was scrawled on the page.

She had turned on the radio and wondered what station to tune to when the clock had struck eight. The local metal station she had been tuned to had devolved into static and the radio had buzzed for several seconds. Then the static had quieted and an unfamiliar voice began to speak.

"We are the White Fang. On this morning our fangs are red, covered in the blood of your bigoted Chief of Police. We have even left the new Chief a gift; the pistol we used to cleanse Vale of the former Chief. In the coming days many of you will ask why we choose the Chief of Police and not a different oppressor. We will save you the speculation and answer your questions now. On the Chief of Police's person we discovered certain documents that proved the validity of a theory we have held for quite some time. The Chief of Police was, with the support of benefactors at the same party, hoping to become the general in command of spearheading a new war against the Faunus people. We have placed thousands of copies of these documents and the evidence supporting it around the city for you, the people, to read. No longer should you sit in your homes, afraid. Now is the time to take to the streets and stain our fangs red!"

The reports of rioting and clashes with police had started almost immediately afterwards and had not ceased. It was now 10am.

Blake's tears continued to fall and she sank onto the floor, clutching her head in her hands. Her gun had been used to kill the Chief of Police, she was sure of it. She might have even been the one to pull the trigger. That realization caused her to shake as she sobbed.

_"I promised my family I would never kill somebody in the fight for our rights. How could I have been so stupid to join with a section that I had never even heard of? What have I done, what have I done!? I need to get out of here, I can't let the others be associated with my sins. I need to find Gambol Shroud and escape, maybe I could stow away on a ship to-" _

Blake's thoughts were interrupted when the door to Team RWBY's dorm flew open. Her head snapped to the right and her tears stopped with the sudden influx of fear. She expected to see a team of special forces officers with weapons drawn and a warrant for her arrest. The sight that appeared was more beautiful, though no less lethal.

"Rise and shine Blake we've got the day to ourselves and I... Blake? What are you doing on the floor? What the hell did you do to your hand!?" asked Yang.

Yang shut the door behind her and crossed the room to the other girl, her face paling. Blake looked at her left hand and noticed for the first time that shards of glass from the broken radio were embedded in her hand. Most of the cuts were only superficial but several shards of glass were lodged in her fingers and palm. A red slit on the back of her hand spilled blood with each heartbeat and Blake wondered why she didn't feel the pain.

At that moment Yang grabbed Blake's wrist and waved her other hand in front of Blake's face.

"Blake, look at me. You aren't hurt bad except for this gash on the back of your hand, it looks deep. Remember our lessons on gashes and stopping bleeding? You gotta concentrate on my hand. Transfer some of your magic to me so I can heal your hand fully babe. Let me help you, huh?" said Yang.

Blake nodded her head in affirmation, though she could not recall a single detail about Advanced Healing 201 or what she had learned in the class. She trusted Yang though, so she slowed her breathing and let some of her magic flow from her body into Yang's hand. Blake raised her right hand and stroked the golden mane that flowed off of Yang's head as she felt her injured hand grow warm with magic.

"Have I said how much I love your hair today?" asked Blake.

"You say that every day babe, now just hold still while I do this" said Yang.

The gash on Blake's hand grew hot with the pain of her wound being stitched shut and she gasped. The numbness that had enveloped her since she had first noticed the wound evaporated and with it clarity returned to her mind. The reasons why she was sitting on the floor with a bloody hand and broken radio flooded back into her head and hot tears began to cloud her vision.

"I'm sorry about the pain, you were always better at this kind of thing than me. Just a few more seconds... there! You'll be just fine now... uhm, Blake? Did I screw up your hand or something?" asked Yang.

Blake shook her head, fighting to get herself under control and failing. Guilt for what she might have done and for what she had done crashed against her in waves. She had lied to her friends and teammates, deceived them all. But the most poignant guilt was that she had lied to the girl now kneeling in front of her. The girl with the golden mane and sweet lips, who cared so much.

Blake reached upwards, hands trembling, and removed her headband and bow. Yang gasped and Blake shut her eyes, expecting anything but what happened next.

Yang wrapped her arms around her.

"Y-Yang? You aren't upset that I didn't tell you?" whispered Blank.

"I'm a bit miffed you didn't say so sooner, but I'm happy you told me now. Is that what's bothering you so much?" asked Yang.

Blake breathed deeply and began to regain control of herself. Yang's hugs always calmed her.

"No, not exactly. That's only part of it. Where are Weiss and Ruby? I don't want them to barge in and hear what I'm about to tell you, not yet" said Blake.

"Well Ruby really wanted to go in early to share breakfast with Weiss, so I walked over there with her a few hours ago. Ruby grabbed a guitar on the way there so I think she's going to pressure princess into that first lesson. So we have the room to ourselves for a good while. Now tell me everything" said Yang.

Blake spent the next hour recounting everything she had hidden from Yang for such a long time. She told Yang about joining the White Fang and all she had done with the organization. She spoke about the discrimination her family had faced because her father had fought in the Faunus War. Blake told Yang everything; from her childhood support of the Non-Violent Faunus Resistance to everything she could remember about the previous night.

"What happens when they identify my prints? They'll find me guilty and then... then a cigarette and blindfold most likely" said Blake.

"Stop that, don't you dare get so down on me Blake. For one we aren't even sure if they'll get your prints. After all you said that the news broadcasters were reporting the gun was mostly melted with acid. If they do identify you then we'll tell them the truth, that you're innocent" replied Yang.

"But my hands were all over the gun, and I am a member of the White Fang. Or maybe a former member now, I'm not sure. Either way I'll still look really guilty to the court, even if I might not have pulled the trigger. Yang, face it. I am guilty of several crimes, like that train robbery and being complicit in or a perpetrator of other heists and robberies. Even if I wasn't a Faunus there would still be a bias against me for killing someone so important. I doubt any of those conspiracy documents that whoever tricked me released were real. Hell, even if they were real I would still be guilty" said Blake.

"There are certain types of magic to determine what spells were used on someone last. If we found someone like that we could prove you were innocent because you were under a spell. If that doesn't work out... we can always run. There's a lot of land outside the four kingdoms, plenty of people too. We could make ourselves a home in some tiny village, protect it from the beasts. We could have a damned good life together babe" said Yang.

"Ever since we started this... this relationship during our last year at Signal you've talked about supporting me in any decision I make" said Blake.

"And I will continue to stick by what I said last year, I'll support you no matter what" responded Yang.

Blake leaned forward and locked her lips with Yang's. Every morning Yang loaded her coffee with cream, giving her lips a distinct flavor. They pressed back against Blake's own and she enjoyed the combination of warm pressure and sweet taste before leaning back and steeling herself for what she was about to propose.

"Yang, I want to turn myself in." ~~~

Weiss Schnee was beyond angry.

It had all started early that morning when Yang and Ruby had appeared to share breakfast with her, which had been enjoyable. Afterwards Yang had departed to check on Blake, who had apparently not returned until late in the night when the sisters were asleep. Then Weiss had had an unwelcome surprise.

"Hey Weiss, you know how you said you could teach me to play the guitar? Well... I figured we could get started with the first lesson early!" Ruby had declared.

Then the younger girl had fetched an acoustic guitar from where she had strategically placed it outside of Weiss's bedridden view.

"Hmm, well I suppose I have nothing better to do. I guess I could start to teach you now. The first thing you need to do is set that guitar down, you're holding it all wrong. I'm going to start with teaching you some of the basics of music, something I doubt the degenerate types of musicians you listen to much care about" Weiss had said.

What had followed was a lecture on musical history, basic music theory, terminology, and other dull lessons. Weiss had hoped that Ruby would quickly grow bored and decide to postpone the lesson, which would suit Weiss just fine. What had happened instead was that Ruby had jotted down notes with rapt attention, and had even pressed Weiss for more information on certain things. That was when Weiss had realized that she would not be dodging giving the lesson and had decided to start with the actual guitar lessons.

"Hand me the guitar Ruby, I'll show you some chords and notes, then you'll repeat what I have done. Got it?" Weiss had said.

"Awww yeah, let's do it princess!" Ruby had replied.

"I wish you wouldn't always insist with that ridiculous misnomer, I am an heiress, not a princess. And I never chose to be an heiress" Weiss had said.

"Okee-dokee princess, whatever you say" Ruby had replied with a smile.

Weiss had only sighed and began the lesson, which was now approaching an hour in length. Weiss had managed to get the younger girl to hold the guitar correctly and to strum a few major chords, but not much else.

"Ughhh, how can you be so clumsy!? All you have to do is place your fingers on these three frets and then strum. I never should have agreed to these stupid lessons" Weiss spat after Ruby messed up another simple chord.

"Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Maybe you should get off of that bed Weiss, you haven't really stretched your legs since you got here two nights ago. C'mon now, get up" Ruby said.

Weiss had been sitting on the side of the bed with her legs dangling off to better situate the guitar on her lap. Ruby had been sitting across from her in a chair but now she stood. Ruby pulled the guitar from Weiss's lap and then pulled her off the bed by the hands. Weiss gave a yelp of protest at being hauled so roughly to her feet. Ruby lead the other girl around the Healer's Ward at a fast walk, Weiss complaining at every step.

"Stop this right now Ruby, let me go! I won't be in your band or give you lessons if you insist on hauling me around like some sort of beast!" she cried.

"Oh please, don't be silly Weiss. I know it must feel good to walk a longer distance than the route from the shower and back. How about we go outside, the walk over here was crisp and nice. You need the fresh air, I bet Professor Copraz would agree" said Ruby.

As if her words had summoned him Copraz's horned head poked out from the door to his office. Ruby stopped her quick pace at the sight and Weiss sighed with relieve. Copraz was sure to kick Ruby out of the Healer's Ward for being so disruptive.

"I'd hate to put a damper on things Ruby, but I refuse to let Weiss out of this ward in her condition" he said.

"There you go Ruby, you heard what he said. I'm in no condition to be outside like this, my injuries are still healing" said Weiss.

"Oh no, quite the opposite actually. Your wounds have healed spectacularly, they were very responsive to the magic I used. I was actually going to release you at about noon anyways. The reason you cannot go outside is because you're still wearing a patient's gown, which are notorious for slipping and causing some awkward moments. Your friends actually brought a change of outfit over this morning, if you get dressed then you've got my permission to go" finished Corpaz, who then ducked back into his office.

Weiss's face began to burn hotter than she thought physically possible; both at being proven mistaken and feeling severely undressed. She spotted the clothes sitting on a chair near her bed and rushed over to them, a hand holding the back of her gown in place. She heard Ruby giggle and sprinted to the changing room, where she slammed the door. Weiss dressed herself, washed her face, and pulled her hair into a long pony tail. After splashing some cold water on her face she realized that it _did _feel good to be up and about yet again.

She walked out and found Ruby once again attempting to play the chord that had caused Weiss such great frustration in the first place.

_"She keeps trying to get it right, even after I was so harsh on her just a few minutes ago. I have to stop being so hard on my friends, especially Ruby" _thought Weiss.

"Hey Ruby, grab that and let me take you up on that offer to go for a walk. It'll do me some good. Let me just check with Professor Corpaz before we go" Weiss said.

"Sounds good to me, I'll be waiting by the door" Ruby replied.

Weiss walked over to the professor's office and thanked him yet again for saving her life. He waved it off and insisted that it was just his duty before instructing her to relax in her dorm for the night.

"I'd hate to keep you in for the night of the Founding Feast but frankly things always get a bit crowded at the dance and you need the rest" Copraz said.

She said that she would and met Ruby at the door, who cheerfully lead them out into the autumn day. It was a crisp day, just as Ruby had said. Leaves of different hues and shades swirled around the girls feet as they crossed the commons. The path back to their dorm lead through the gardens so they were treated to a feast for the eyes.

The gardens were packed with flowers and exotic plants from across the world and often drew visitors throughout the day, though they were empty now.

"Ruby, have you noticed how few people seem to be around today?" Weiss asked.

"Maybe they all slept late, or maybe they're all preparing for the Founding Feast" Ruby said.

Weiss thought something stranger was happening but soon forgot about her misgivings when Ruby excitedly motioned for her to look at something.

"WeissWeissWeiss! Look at what they have, I haven't seen this flower since I was a kid. They were at Uncle Qrow's house, he brought them from across the sea" Ruby said.

"I can't say I know them, what type of flower are they? They haven't even bloomed yet and winter is almost here."

"They're Winter's Rose. They're special because they only bloom at first snowfall, nobody really knows how or why. They're the only roses that bloom in winter. They have a lot of thorns, but once you manage to get past those they're beautiful and smell great" said Ruby.

Weiss made Ruby promise to show her them after the first snowfall, unaware of just how serious things at Beacon were soon to get. Afterwards the two of them returned to their dorm to find it unexpectedly empty.

"I wonder where your sister went... and why the radio is in the trash. What's going on around here today?" Weiss asked.

Ruby only shrugged and set the acoustic guitar she had been carrying against the wall. She rummaged through her drawers for a moment and then withdrew her headphones and her music player.

"Weiss, I've got a surprise for you. I'll be back in less than an hour, I'll be down the hall if you need me. For now though listen to this album by Death Magnet and these tracks from Earth's Maw so you can get a feel for our sound, alright?" Ruby said, handing Weiss the player.

Weiss decided that she really should take a listen to some of the music that she was apparently going to be playing soon. She spent the next hour finding herself surprisingly pleased with the music she was hearing. After she was a few tracks into the second album Ruby had suggested she realized that Ruby had been gone for a long time. She was about to set out to find Ruby when the door opened and Ruby appeared, holding something in her hand.

It was a pie.

"Where on earth did you get a pie? Did you steal that from the kitchens? If so you need to return it right now, I will not live with a thief" Weiss said accusingly.

"Well that was why I was away so long, I baked this. I actually had a small ham that I was making too, but uh, I burnt it. And the potatoes turned out really mushy and under-cooked, so I had to throw them out too. But the pie, which Yang and I made last night, went into the oven and came out perfect. I was always a better baker than a cook. Anyways, happy Founding Feast Weiss!" said Ruby.

Weiss's eyes began to wet and she did her best stop them, but felt drops on her cheeks. Ruby saw and placed the pie down on the bed, looking worried. She sat next to Weiss on the bed and looked into Weiss's wet eyes.

"Weiss, what did I do? Did a poisoned pie kill your great aunt or something?" Ruby asked gently.

"No, it's nothing like that. I just realize now that I've been kind of a bitch to you. You've been nothing but nice to me since the day we met and I've been so harsh to you. Now you make me food when you now that I'm missing the Founding Feast, even after I yelled at you earlier. I hate being so mean to you and the others, but I just naturally do it. I feel awful" Weiss said.

"Weiss, you've never been a bitch. Well, maybe you have a couple times, but that's not the point. The point is that I know you don't really mean it. After all you saved my life in the forest during the initiation, that was pretty awesome. You even agreed to join our band, you didn't have to do that. You can't just beat yourself up all the time" said Ruby.

"Yeah, you're right, but still. How do I stop doing that when there's so much pressure on me all the time? I'm heiress to a major corporation that I dread having to take over one day, why do you think I hate the nickname princess so much?" Weiss said as she calmed herself.

"Well the reason I call you princess isn't because of you being an heiress. In the fairy tales the princess is always kind and pretty, which you are. You certainly don't need saving, judging from how you smashed that bully Winchester's nose."

"I never really thought of it that way I guess. Still, I can't help but put a lot of pressure on myself all the time, there's no simple solution to make myself feel less stressed" Weiss said.

"Actually, I think there is. My Papa once told me that the best philosophy he had ever heard for living a good life was this. 'Stop wasting time doing things you hate and start focusing on the important things and people. The universe is billions of years old and your life is less than a second compared to that. So live every day well, and be happy you got to be a part of it all'" Ruby said.

Weiss grew quiet and though what Ruby had said over. She had never looked at life with such a radically positive view, not since her mother had died.

"I never thought of it like that. I think I'll write that down somewhere, maybe you could even use it in a song for your, no, our band. Thanks Ruby, it felt good to get that off my chest" Weiss finished.

"Glad to help princess. Now can we dig in? There's a whole steaming hot pie sitting there waiting to be devoured by just us and if we don't act soon I may cram the entire thing in my mouth at once" Ruby said.

Weiss smiled, Ruby's positive spirit never faltered. The two friends sat on the floor and shoveled pie into their mouths with the utensils Ruby had grabbed. A short time later the girl's sat across from each other, happy and full of pie. Ruby even turned the speakers on so they could listen to Earth's Maw together. Ruby was explaining how the band could produce a similarly distorted sound when a knock came at the door.

Curious, the two girls both stood to open the door. If it had been Yang or Blake they should have been able to walk in directly. When Weiss unlocked the door and let it swing open she found Glinda Goodwitch staring at her.

"Ms. Schnee, Ms. Rose. You need to come with me right now. Your teammate Ms. Belladonna is on the verge of doing something irrevocable, and I need your help to stop her."


	5. Chapter 5: Storm Clouds

**A/N: You know, I never really see what's coming next in this story until it happens. I have ideas, glimpses through the fog. But I actually need to walk through the fog to find what I'm actually going to write. Often I find that the things I end up writing are much different than my initial ideas, and in a way this is the most enjoyable part of the creative process. I experience the story as you do, I'm with you in your anticipation for what will happen next. Sometimes I'm surprised by what I type (like that cliffhanger with Blake last chapter, man I did not see that coming) and I love that feeling. **

**On another completely different note I feel a strange confliction within me. I've got a bit of money to drop on Amazon and am now considering getting the RWBY DVD. I assume you'd think that was a no brainer, but actually I'm very critical of the show. The animation quality and general quality of the filler episodes has been disappointing to say the least. Also Monty seems like kind of a douche, but hey that might just be me. Still, the show certainly has its moments, such as with its fight scenes and certain moments with the girls (that trashcan line had me roaring). More importantly the show has given me a lot of enjoyment through writing this story. Plus I generally love the guys at RT, they've given me some great laughs over the years. **

**Lastly, after watching that finale I was very surprised to see that I accurately predicted that there would be some kind of White Fang - Roman collaboration. This made me very happy indeed. Anyways, enjoy everyone!**

Chapter 5: Storm Clouds

_Antebellum. _

"...and now the city has become a battleground, the epicenter of what may well become a civil war."

Ruby's jaw fell open as Glynda finished recounting the events from the previous night. She and Weiss had been brought to Headmaster Ozpin's chamber only moments before by Glynda herself.

"I _knew _something was going on! There was nobody outside, it just didn't feel right. I can't believe we managed to miss all of the radio broadcasts that have been reporting on this. But that still doesn't answer why you brought us here Ms. Goodwitch, you said this had to do with her."

At "her" Weiss shot an accusatory finger towards Blake, who was pacing around the large room. The Headmaster's chamber was situated at the top of Beacon Tower and so large windows surrounded most of the circular room. Volumes, scrolls, and mugs of coffee lay atop the large wooden desk set opposite the only door inside.

Yang was standing by the door through which Ruby and her friend had been lead, as if she were a guard and Blake her prisoner. Yang's face was melancholic and Ruby could not help but worry about what her sister was thinking about.

Glynda stood behind Ozpin's desk, a deep frown set upon her face. The look was familiar to Ruby, she had received a similar one on the night that she had first clashed with Roman Torchwick.

"Well Ms. Schnee I'm afraid you'll have to get those answers directly from Ms. Belladonna. She was the one who came charging in to the office earlier, demanding to see Headmaster Ozpin" said Glynda.

"But where exactly is he? The Headmaster I mean. Unless he knows how to turn invisible or do some kind of camouflage spell I don't think he's here. Wait a minute, can he become invisible!? That would be so cool, I would love to have some kind of armor that could turn me invisible. Maybe even an enchantment that I could put onto my cloak" said Ruby.

"No Ms. Rose, no invisibility spells or enchanted cloaks here. Headmaster Ozpin is in the capital right now on important business concerning what has transpired in the last 24 hours. As you girls know the capital is much farther away than our own fair city and that the situation is indeed dire. As such I would not hold your breath in expecting him back soon. Ms. Belladonna you really need to cease that incessant pacing and tell your friends the truth. Speak up so that your friends can help you see reason" said Glynda.

_"What is going here? First Glynda tells us about some riots in the city and the murder that caused them and now Blake has some kind of big secret? I hate waiting for answers" _thought Ruby.

Just as Ruby was about stand up Blake stopped her walk and looked at her and Weiss. She cleared her throat several times before beginning and Ruby could not help but notice that her eyes were red.

"I... well you see I... there's really no good way to say this. I've been lying to all of you. Your team, all the other students, and even the staff at Beacon" Blake said.

She then reached up to her bow, which looked as if it had just been placed there, and removed it from her head. Two small, violet triangles came in to view and it took a second for Ruby to register that she was actually seeing a pair of ears.

"I think you mean our team Blake, just because you're a Faunus doesn't mean that you have to leave or anything. You completed initiation with us fair and square, there's no reason for us to kick you out of the team" Ruby said.

"Well Ruby that's not all of what I need to tell you, there's a lot more to this situation than-"

Whatever Blake was about to say was interrupted by Weiss, who stood up so fast it seemed more akin to a jump.

"No wonder you've been so adamantly for the rights of the Faunus! I knew there was something hidden underneath that cool attitude. Why couldn't you just tell us from the start, delaying it only makes it seem like you have something worse to hide" Weiss said.

"Weiss, you haven't exactly been a model of warmth and openness in the time I've known you. Stop the shouting and sit down, you need to understand what's going on here before you say something rash" said Yang.

Her voice carried none of the usual tones of closeness and understanding.

"Fine, I'll hear what she has to say. But if you think I'm just going to forgive being lied to so quickly than you have no idea who I am" said Weiss as she returned to her seat.

"Alright, here it goes. This is what I really need to tell you two" began Blake.

Ruby's astonishment and awe only grew as Blake's tale continued. She was astonished that her quiet friend Blake was so intensely committed to the ideals of the White Fang. Blake had always been the quieter one of the four, during practice she smiled slightly and nodded her head with the music but never seemed terribly excited. Even when they had gone through the initiation test Blake had been level-headed and it seemed as if nothing could phase her. None of the calm exterior or unshakeable attitude remained now.

"Yang, you've been friends with Blake since Signal, you must have known some of this right? Right?" Ruby asked.

"Ruby, don't. This isn't about Yang, this is about me. What I'm telling you right now is what you need to focus on. The first step of reconciling what I've done over the years is to confess to my teammates. After that... I need to confess to the law. I'm going into the city to turn myself in, even though I am not sure if I was the one who actually shot the Chief. They'll investigate and either I'll be found guilty or I won't... I really think this is the best way to go" said Blake, resignation clear in her eyes.

"Of course you should go to the police, and if you didn't I would have gone to them myself. This is absolutely insane, how did Beacon let a criminal join as a student? I assume you weren't even aware that she was a Faunus were you?" shouted Weiss.

"_Weiss!_"

Ruby stood up from her chair and glared at the other girl.

"How could you say something like that to our teammate? Didn't you hear her story? The reasons that caused her to fight for the White Fang in the first place was because of the discrimination that she faced. She isn't even sure that she's guilty, none of us know what really happened last night" said Ruby.

"Ruby, she has a point. I've committed crimes against many different businesses, even her father's own. I need to be tried for these things as well as everything else that happened last night" Blake replied.

"No, no you aren't. We are going to discover what really happened ourselves with the help of my uncle, Headmaster Ozpin, and Professor Goodwitch. They have the spells and experience to help us uncover what really happened last night, and then we can go to the police to clear your name" Ruby said.

"Ms. Rose seems to agree with my own views, even if she phrased them much louder than I did. The chances of you receiving a fair trial right now are little to none and you would be naive to believe otherwise" added Glynda.

"I told you early Professor, if I wait for them to actually discover my identity and then come hunting for me I'll be sure to have no chance at a lenient sentence. I have to give myself up now, before things spiral further out of control" Blake said.

"Absolutely not, you would be damaging both your own chances to be treated justly and the reputation of your friends, family, and school. Even if you wish to proceed with this headstrong plan I will not allow it. The school is in lockdown, nobody may enter and nobody may leave" finished Glynda.

"What!? Everything appears normal out there, besides the lack of people roaming around the grounds. I don't see any kind of walls or protections from up here" said Weiss, who was now peering out Beacon Tower's windows.

"Of course not, the spells and other protections that have been activated are subtle. If any trouble were to spread to the school's grounds they would meet an unforgiving welcome" Glynda replied.

Ruby turned and looked out the same window that Weiss was at. She scanned the grounds for anything out of the ordinary, but nothing seemed out of place. Even the gates to the school were still open. Ruby's train of thought was derailed as she observed the school grounds and noted what a beautiful effect the fall weather had on the campus. The day was bright and abnormally warm, which did make it odd that nobody was out and about. She was pulled from her thoughts when she noticed the shouting battle going on behind her.

"Have you even told the student body that we're preparing for an attack?" Yang yelled, her face now flush with anger.

"To cause panic among the students would only further increase the possibility of dangerous situations developing inside the school. The other faculty are meeting right now with some of the senior team leaders about slowly informing others about the situation" said Glynda.

"You can't just keep us locked inside the school without an option to leave. I can see that the gate is open from here, nothing is there to stop me" said Blake.

"I'm loathe to agree with Blake after everything she just told us but there's no denying she's correct. The gate down there is wide open and you don't have any right to keep us in here" Weiss said.

"Actually the Headmaster has every authority to declare the school in lockdown if he feels the danger is real enough. As for the protections placed around this school I can assure you that you do not wish to be the one to test them. Now I must demand that both of you sit down so we can discuss what to do regarding Ms. Belladonna" said Glynda.

"Wait a second, what's that noise?" asked Yang.

Weiss rushed over to the windows with Ruby and the others on her heels. Weiss pointed into the sky and Ruby saw what she was aiming at quickly. Her stomach dropped with the realization.

"That type of gunship, I've seen it before. That's the gunship that that Torchwick flew in that heist we stopped. What's he doing here?" said Weiss.

"I recognize it too, that is definitely the same ship. I can't believe he would fly here, he'll never be able to get through the defenses" remarked Glynda.

Team RWBY and the professor crowded around the window as the gunship flew closer to the perimeter of the school. When it reached the airspace above the main gate the plane stopped and the chain guns mounted underneath the cockpit began to rotate. They spat streams of bullets at the nearest building, but something strange occurred.

The bullets seemed to hit an invisible hand and deflect in all directions. Then the gunship launched two rockets out at the wall and an explosion blossomed against the same invisible barrier. Upon the impact of the two rockets there was a brief flash of blue light at the impact sight. Ruby saw what seemed similar to blue-tinted glass surrounding the campus in a large dome. Like a flash of sunlight off of the scales of a leaping fish the dome-like shield, for that was what Ruby rightly assumed it was, shined brightly for a half-second and then vanished.

"Did those rockets just deflect off of-" began Blake.

"Yes, a large magical shield. I can give you no more specifics than that, I neither want to or have the time to. Now that an act of aggression has been launched at the school I must do what Headmaster Ozpin would have. All seniors and staff, as well as certain other students will prepare for a battle, though that is unlikely. All the underclassmen and any others deemed unable to defend the school will be made to stay inside until this is all over" announced Glynda.

"Special other students, that includes us right?" Ruby asked.

"Ms. Rose you have not been at Beacon for a full term yet, do not waste my time. All of you will go to the library located on the middle levels of this building and _will not leave_. No questions asked. If my colleagues stationed outside of this building see you there will be no appeals or committees, you will be expelled without further consideration." ~~~

And so Weiss found herself with Team RWBY inside the old library located several floors down from where they had been. The tensions in the air were so palpable that their bitter taste rested on Weiss's tongue. Blake was in the corner and her glare suggested that any approach would mean a fight. Yang was at the windows watching the gunship, which was hovering in the same position that it had been for the past hour. Even Ruby was not her normal self, she had disappeared somewhere in between the shelves almost as soon as they had arrived.

_"I'm on a team with a criminal who could also be the assassin who killed the Chief of Police. And she has the nerve to claim that she doesn't remember any of it. At least she confessed to her previous crimes, that should make the courts job easier" _thought Weiss.

But something nagged at her conscience despite how sure she thought she was of Blake's guilt. There were spells that were capable of putting someone under complete hypnosis, though it was very rare and even more illegal. Not even the police or Her Majesty's Army was allowed to employ such magic. The possibility that Blake was telling the truth seemed slim, but if she were speaking the truth the implications were terrifying.

_"Now I'm considering the possibility of some kind of dark forces being at work here? I should read less fiction if I'm going to start believing that Blake was just some pawn without any say in what she was doing" _Weiss reflected.

As Weiss strolled back and forth she realized that hypnosis or no hypnosis Blake had most likely been used as a pawn by the White Fang. The thought made Weiss feel pity for the girl dressed in black. Blake had repeated time and time again in her confession that she was for the equal treatment of Faunus first and foremost. She had never been the one to craft the criminal plans that she would undoubtedly be convicted of. The White Fang had taken Blake's desire for equality and fraternity and honed it as just another weapon in their war.

The anger Weiss held for the White Fang and the pity she felt for how Blake had likely been used were nauseating. Weiss stepped away from where she had paused at the windows and pivoted to head deeper into the quiet library. Dusty volumes judged Weiss as she walked between them in the gloom of the dusty library. Almost as soon as she started to pass through the many shelves she realized that the library was actually more complex than it seemed to be and that she could find some place silent to lay down and rest.

Weiss idly began to run her hand along the shelves as she passed them and almost did not notice when her fingers brushed something new. There was no longer the feeling of old books spines, it was the feeling of a wooden door. She was surprised to find a door wedged in between bookcases until she realized that she had reached the end of the row she had been walking through. She pushed the door open and searched the wall for a switch.

"That is not what I would expect to find in a library" Weiss said as her finger found and flipped the light switch.

A piano sat alone in the small room. The cover over it was covered in dust that stretched back at least months, though Weiss was not sure. She crossed the short distance to the grand instrument and uncovered it with a flap of the cover.

It was a sturdy wooden piano and looked as if it had been made with the utmost care. Weiss sat herself on the small bench by the piano and tested the keys. Her muscle memory took control and the melody she began to play brought back words she had thought forgotten.

"_Mirror, tell me something. Tell me who's the loneliest of all?_

_Mirror, mirror, tell me something.__Who's the loneliest of all?_

_I'm the loneliest of all."_

"You're wrong."

Weiss's reminiscing was brought to a halt as her head snapped to look at the door. Ruby leaned against the doorway, a defiant glare back in her eye.

"You're so wrong Weiss. Can't you see that?"

"About what Ruby, what are you talking about?" Weiss asked.

"The song Weiss. You call me the idiot and now you ask me what I'm talking about? The song you were just singing about loneliness and the mirror" Ruby replied.

Only then did Weiss arrive at the realization that she had been singing aloud.

"What's wrong with you, opening doors and listening to something you know nothing about!" Weiss demanded.

"You left the door open princess" Ruby said.

The words turned Weiss's anger into embarrassment, she was fully at fault. She struggled to think of a response and then realized that Ruby was now sitting on the bench with her.

"Scoot over, it's not like you have a big but to take up the whole seat" Ruby quipped.

"It is called a bench; don't you know anything? And don't talk about me like that, didn't your parents teach you not to be so vulgar?" Weiss sad, her temper returning.

"Oh I'm the vulgar one, after the sight I was subjected to of you in that gown at the Hospital Ward? I don't think my innocent eyes will ever recover from seeing your butt. C'mon Weiss, being so polite in your speech isn't impressing me" said Ruby.

"You saw my? Ruby, you are the most unmannered girl I have ever met. And I am certainly not attempting to impress you, that's ridiculous" Weiss replied.

"You won't fool me Weiss, I know you just want me to make you some more pie" joked Ruby.

"What, more pie? I will admit it was a tasty dessert, but I'm not some kind of addict. You came in here to lecture me about loneliness and now you're telling me I want to coerce some more baked goods out of you. Do you intentionally make conversations go this off-topic?" Weiss questioned.

"Nope, 's just kind of an accident. Thanks for reminding me though, I wanted to say that song can't apply to you. You aren't alone, even if you wanted to be" said Ruby.

"When did I ever say I was lonely?" Weiss asked.

"The way you sang the song, it was clear you were thinking of yourself. If you had seen it you would be able to tell too" Ruby answered.

"Maybe I just really immerse myself in the music Ruby, stop trying to learn everything about me" said Weiss.

"What happened to your mother Weiss?"

Weiss flinched so badly she nearly fell from her side of the bench. Ruby's hand gripped Weiss's and gave her the balance to avoid toppling over.

"How could you possibly?" Weiss whispered.

"Whenever you mention Schnee Corp. it's always in relation to your father. Not a single mention of two parents or your mom" said Ruby.

"She... she's been dead for two years. It's almost a kind of sick joke that I wear white every day when a part of me is still mourning. But I have to keep my head up and remain strong, for my father. I know you think that friendship is the cure for everything Ruby, but that is just not true"

"You clearly loved her, and miss her love. But if you manage to meet someone who can love you just as much, differently, but just as much, then you'll have no need to sing such weepy songs. And Weiss, all love includes friendship. It doesn't cure everything, I know that. But you'll need to stop mourning some time."

Weiss was formulating a reply in her head when a shout drifted through the still open door.

"Blake, Ruby, Weiss. Something is about to happen here. Other gunships showed up a second ago, but that's not the oddest thing. It's _snowing_."


	6. Chapter 6: The Tempest

**A/N: Here it is, the actual version of chapter six. For those of you who are wondering what I mean by that... well don't worry about it. The chapter is now done and ready to be read. In the end I think that is what really counts for me. **

**This chapter will be the first of an event that will probably take two or so chapters to complete, but that's fine. I'm ready to tackle the challenge. I hope all of you that have journeyed along with Ruby, Weiss, and co. will enjoy this chapter and continue to read on. **

**A note on where the idea for this chapter came from. I've actually had this idea since the beginning of the story and have been excited to write it, I'm glad I've stuck to my pledge to write consistently, and hopefully well, and now my head is full of ideas for future chapters as well. **

**I swear more Yuri will be coming soon guys and gals, don't you worry about that. **

Chapter 6: The Tempest

_In which the flames burn hotter, the snow grows deeper, and the curtain opens. _

"This will do. Bring us down here."

The airjet landed in a small clearing in the Emerald Forest quickly and discreetly. The woman in the red dress disembarked and watched as the pilot lifted the airjet into the autumn sky. In a moment he was gone, and she was the sole occupier of the clearing. But that only lasted a moment.

"Welcome to the Emerald Forest" offered a voice.

The woman turned and looked over the two people who had emerged from the surrounding trees. One was a lanky man with wild, purple hair and an indifferent look set on his face. The other was a tanned, fit girl who looked of an age with the woman in the red dress.

"Mojan. Isabella. Good to see that you are both already prepared for what comes next," the woman said.

"We are, Baroness. I've already placed the necessary spells on all of the Grimm that I could find in this section of the Emerald Forest. Mojan says that he's ready for his part of the plan as well" Isabella said.

"Don't call me by that ridiculous name. Even Torchwick knows that 'Baroness' is only a cover. You've been one of my captains for a long while Isabella, much longer than Mojan. Give me the respect of addressing me correctly."

"Oh, yes. Of course Cinder, I'm not sure what I was thinking" Isabella replied.

Cinder stared into the red eyes of the foreign girl and noted the fear present. Cinder found that a bit of fear and mystery was never a negative. She allowed the rumors that circulated among her troops for just that reason. The more myths and deeds attributed to her the easier it was to maintain her image of power over her forces.

_"Choosing Isabella and Mojan as my captains is working excellently. My orders and regulations are delivered and enforced by the two of them while the grunts continue to create myths about me. Even Torchwick has managed to be more serious recently. I wonder if he still hopes that I'll take him to bed" _Cinder wondered.

In truth it would only take her less time to reach into Torchwick's mind for the answer than it would to say his name aloud. But she knew that wasn't necessary; there was no doubt in her mind that Torchwick was still attracted to her. She even considered inviting him into her bed some night; she had not had a man for quite a while.

Cinder pushed her wonderings out of her mind and prepared herself for the task at hand. If Torchwick and her captains succeeded today than she would have days to reflect on trivial subjects.

"Follow me; you know where we are headed."

Her two captains followed her through the bristling trees in silence, as wolves follow their alpha while on the hunt. Soon they reached the edge of the forest, in front of the forest lay several fields. Cinder could also make out the outlying buildings belonging to Beacon Academy with across the fields.

"Isabella, rest easy for a moment. Mojan, you know what happens next."

Cinder stretched her hands out and encountered what felt like a cool window, though there was nothing in sight. As soon as her fingertips brushed against the invisible barrier she felt a current of magic flowing underneath her hands.

"They have an impressive combination of spells fortifying the dome barrier. It must be on par with what was used during the War" Mojan said from beside her.

"Yes, that's for certain. If I had never seen a shield of this type before I would have been overwhelmed. As it happens..."

Cinder traced her finger in a wide rectangle along the barrier and then pressed her palm flat to the area of the shielding that contained her imaginary box. She concentrated on currents of magic flowing through the shield and then stood back.

"Point your finger towards the school, in the area that I just marked out" she ordered.

Mojan reached out from her right and jabbed his finger at the air where, just moments prior, a shield had existed.

"But how did you?" Mojan began.

"Energy manipulation and other factors. But you know what you need to do. Get started" Cinder replied.

Mojan thrust a dagger into the air and aimed it at the blue, unremarkable skies above Beacon Academy. He breathed in slowly and Cinder watched him narrow his eyes, as if her were calculating how to find an archery target with his notched arrow. He released the arrow and she watched as a beam of brilliant light erupted from his dagger and was propelled into the air.

When Cinder followed the beam's trajectory upwards she found where the spell terminated. The thick, brilliant line's end was the birthplace of a blizzard. Dark, pregnant clouds appeared in the sky above the school and began to spread out.

_"Some of the storm is colliding with the edges of the dome. Even better that their own protections will foster this potent weather and make it even more devastating. The spell seems to be working rather slowly though..."_

Cinder moved her right hand to a portion of the dome that was still active and once again felt the flow of magical energy. She interlocked the fingers of her left hand with Mojan's free hand and held tightly. She ignored the quizzical glance that he gave her. Instead she concentrated on the power of the shield and tensed herself. Her body become a conductor and absorbed some of the potent magic of the shield. The tingling pain entered her veins from her right side and rushed eastward to her left hand, then into Mojan's hand.

"What did-" was all Mojan managed to say.

Then his face scrunched drew tight and his body grew rigid. Cinder gripped his hand tightly to continue the connection. The small beam that had been Mojan's spell was now triple in its thickness. What had been just clouds above Beacon now evolved into the beginnings of a large storm.

The clouds grew in size and number until they filled the entire upper fourth of the dome. Winds howled and snow began to cascade from their mother clouds. Cinder, satisfied with the results her shortcut had achieved, removed her hand from the shield and relaxed her grip on her captain's hand.

He collapsed immediately after she broke the connection.

"What did you do!?" Mojan gasped.

"Channeled the raw magic of the shield into your body so the spell would work faster. You claimed to know about magical energy manipulation Mojan. Was that a lie or are you a fool?"

"Of course I understand what you did, I could feel the raw energy being passed through me," he growled.

"So why did you ask me what I had done?" she asked.

"I... You should have mentioned it first, you never asked for my permission. Look at what's happened to my hand."

He held up the hand she had been holding. It looked like someone had pressed a burning piece of metal into his hand, stripping away the top layers of skin. His palm still smoked slightly. Cinder stared at the injury and then stepped forward, the yellow designs on her dress glowing and fire in her hands.

"Permission? I don't need to ask you permission for anything. Be glad that I did that; if not, your spell casting would have been so slow that we would have lost the element of surprise completely. Then your entire body would have looked like that hand. So I think you owe me some gratitude Mojan" Cinder said.

For a moment he met her glare with his own. Then his eyes dropped to the ground and he muttered something to the ground.

"Speak up Mojan, before my remaining patience evaporates."

"Thank you" he said.

Cinder smiled mockingly and he looked away, cowed.

"Isabella, activate the spells you set earlier. Command the Grimm to attack the school."

"All of them at once?" Isabella asked.

"Yes, all of them. Don't concern yourself about fighting; you and Mojan will remain here. I'll have Torchwick send one of his pilots to extract you."

"Ah, alright. One horde of Grimm, coming right up" Isabella said.

The tanned girl sat down and her red eyes became blue, than green, than once again red. Cinder had seen Isabella's ritual dozens of times so she turned to the shield dome that still stood between her and the school.

She pressed her hands against the shield and closed her eyes. The yellow patterns on her clothes shined with an almost blinding brilliance and then the air reverberated with an enormous whooshing noise. Cinder took a few steps forward and collided with nothing. She began to walk towards the school and smiled as Grimm began to emerge from the forest; charging, slithering, or flying past her.

There was a small black radio at her hip. She held it to her lips.

"The shield is down Torchwick and the Grimm are loose. Wait for the storm to pass in a few minutes and then begin your attacks with the airjets. Oh and send a pilot to where I landed in the Emerald forest, Mojan and Isabella need to be taken back to base."

"Sounds good boss. Do you think you'll find what we're searching for?" Torchwick replied.

"I'm certain I'll find it. The real question is how many people I'll need to kill in the process of stealing it." ~~~

Ruby was often guilty of napping or doodling in class, but there was one exception. Ruby was always alert and active in their Strategy and Tactics class. It had been her favorite subject since her uncle Qrow had told her stories of famous commanders and their clever plans when she was a child.

Due to this knowledge she was the one to see the sudden snowfall for what it really was.

"Frost Harbor."

"What are you talking about Ruby?" Yang asked.

"It was a battle in the War. The outnumbered army won because they managed to attack Frost Harbor's fortress after a blizzard hat hit. The defenders never saw their enemies coming" Ruby replied.

Then Ruby ran at the window in front of her and crashed through it, shoulder-first. She only fell a story and remembered to roll as she landed. Yang followed her out of the window without question, Blake jumped after her, and Weiss landed last of all.

"What was that!? We just broke a window in Beacon Tower and are now outside, which Ms. Goodwitch said we would be expelled for!" Weiss shouted.

"I'm your team leader, so you need to follow my orders. The school is about to come under attack and I'm not going to have my team stay in one of the most prominent targets on campus. Now come on, we don't have much time" Ruby ordered.

Ruby then lead her team at a sprint across the campus. They reached the residential hall for the first year students just as the storm above them intensified.

When her team was inside the building, Ruby peered out through the windows at the storm.

"That is definitely not a normal storm. The sky was pure blue and the weather was normal for autumn. Now a blizzard out of nowhere? It has to be magic" Ruby determined.

"You're right Ruby; I can see maybe two hundred yards out. It will be almost impossible to see out there in the next few minutes, white-out conditions" Blake agreed.

"We need to find everyone else; they have to be inside here somewhere right? Though I don't remember seeing any lights on when we ran over here" Yang added.

"Isn't it obvious where they all went?"

Ruby turned her head away from the window to look at Weiss. The other girl had her hands on her hips and a familiar look on her face. Her facial expression seemed to shout the question, "You should know this, why don't you know this?"

"Well you're our resident know-it-all princess, where did everyone go?" Yang asked.

Weiss simply pointed to a set of doors located nearby. The sign on the door said this: **BASEMENT ACCESS. IN CASE OF EMERGENCY USE BASEMENT FOR SHELTER.**

"Oh" Yang said.

"Uh... thanks Weiss, I guess that was kind of obvious" Ruby said.

"Let's just go find the other teams and figure out what is going on around here" Weiss responded.

As Ruby lead her team down the poorly lit stairs she thought about how Weiss's reply could have easily been biting and cold.

_"It's better than having her shout all the time" _Ruby thought.

At the base of the stairs she pushed open a door and found herself in an equally badly lit room. Around twenty people were milling around in the dusty room, which was logical because there only half a dozen teams in the hall.

"Over here girls!"

Ruby looked over and saw Pyrrah sitting on a crate. The rest of Team JNPR surrounded her.

"Where have all of you been? Do you know what's going on?" Juane asked.

"Well we were at the tower but then it started to snow, so we headed over here. We don't know any more than you guys" Ruby admitted.

"Wait, did you just say it was snowing out there?" Pyrrah asked.

Yang proceeded to explain the storm that they had witnessed on their trip from Beacon Tower and Ruby told them about Frost Harbor and the possibility of an attack.

"Well we can't just let the school get attacked while we sit in a dusty old basement. Let's head upstairs and wait by the entrance, we can keep watch for anything suspicious. There were supposed to be guards around but you didn't mention seeing them so they must be on the other side of the building" Lie Ren suggested.

"That sounds good to me; we can't fight something that we cannot see after all. You're Team JNPR's leader Juane, do you agree?" Ruby asked.

"Seems like a reasonable plan to me. But what will we do if there is a threat? And what if it comes straight at us?" Juane replied.

"Then we'll break their legs" Nora declared.

For a moment there was silence as the other students stared at Nora, but it soon evolved into laughter. None of them had any idea that Juane was correct; something sinister was coming.

The members of Team JNPR and Team RWBY slipped out of the basement one by one so as not to attract too much attention. Ruby had declared that there was no sense in causing a panic by all leaving at once and the others had agreed that it was a smart idea. So now, several minutes later, the eight of them stood by the windows to the outside.

"All I can see is the foot of snow that's on the ground and then more snow falling from the sky. I can't even see the shapes of the other buildings nearby," Blake said.

"Well we have to keep looking, there might be something out there" Juane replied.

So that was what the two teams continued to do. For several minutes there was nothing but snow and Ruby wondered if she had been wrong.

_"Maybe the school staff did this to ward of the airjet. They must have thought that it had come here to spy, so they decided to cause a snow storm to blind it. Ms. Goodwitch was really good with weather, I remember that from our fight with Roman Torchwick" _Ruby thought.

Just as she was about to propose this idea to her teammates the floor shook beneath her feet.

"What the-" someone yelled.

"Look everyone, the weather is starting to clear outside!" Blake added.

The sky outside was beginning to clear and shapes of other buildings began to appear as the blowing snows began to quiet. The ground shook again and the teams crowded around the windows, desperate to divine just what was happening outside. Ruby was so absorbed in staring out the window that she jumped a bit when the basement door slammed open behind her.

"What the hell is going?" Cardin Winchester demanded, mace in hand.

"Damn it Cardin, you scared me half to death!" Pyrrah exclaimed angrily.

"The ground is shaking like we're in an earthquake or something, everyone is wondering if we're under attack or something. Your teams have been up here, tell us what's going" Cardin asked again.

"We don't know Cardin, calm down. We've been keeping watch at the windows but all we saw was snow, snow, and more snow. We couldn't see anything until a couple minutes ago, that was when the ground began to shake," Juane replied.

"Well did you think of going to the roof?" one of Cardin's friends asked.

"Uh... no. No we did not" Ruby admitted.

So the three teams charged up the stairs to the roof in search of answers. Ruby was the fastest one among them and so she was the one who threw open the door to the roof and had the first look at what was going on. It was worse than anything any of them had thought.

An army of Grimm were either attacking the school buildings or locked in combat with various teachers and students. Ruby felt the pie in her stomach threaten to make itself known once again as she looked closer. Not all of the blood staining the snow belonged to the Grimm. Above her airjets swooped at people at the ground in strafing runs or launched their rockets at buildings.

Ruby barely noticed the rest of the group arrive behind her; she was too focused on Beacon Tower. A pair of airjets launched their rockets at the tower, but they never reached the intended target. Instead a purple glow erupted from the tower and the missiles were thrown back at the airjets, which failed to evade the missiles.

"It must be Goodwitch, she's defending the tower" Yang said.

"Ruby, you've fought Torchwick before right? What are we going to do?" Weiss asked.

Eleven pair of eyes fixed themselves on Ruby's face. She felt terror and panic well up inside her; how could she lead students who were older than her into what would quite possibly be their deaths?

Then the lessons that her uncle had taught her sounded inside her brain and she breathed deeply.

Ruby unfolded Crescent Rose with one hand and ran the other through her hair. She exhaled again.

"Alright, here's what we do. We defend this building from any Grimm or airjets that come near. We stick together at all costs. Most importantly we make sure each and everyone one of us gets through this alive."


	7. Chapter 7: Stained Snow

**A/N: I really love it when you guys review the story. When I get a nice review that someone adds some constructive feedback into I always smile. I do want to improve the story all the time and so am glad when I see suggestion framed in a positive and helpful way. And of course it's really nice to see that people are enjoying the story! (Yes **bk00, SanguisAnima, sgtranglin **and all the other reviewers, that was a shout out.)**

**I actually **_**did **_**send chapter six to a Beta Reader (here's a shout out to you babe, thanks again!) and received some feedback from her. I hope the results were good for the last chapter and that all of you enjoyed both the writing and the content of last chapter. This also gives me a good opportunity to talk about some of my stylistic choices. **

**One of the most obvious stylistic choices that I make is the decision to often not include commas at the end of dialogue. Why? Honestly I think that the sentences look neater and cleaner without all of the extra commas, that's my reasoning. Plenty of authors, (Hemingway, Victor Hugo, Cormac McCarthy) make stylistic choices that don't follow "conventional grammar". Do I pretend to be as good as them? God no. Do I think I'm allowed to make my own little stylistic choices? Yep. **

**So for the future I will keep sending the new chapters to a Beta Reader and doing my best grammatically. **

**I really hope y'all enjoy this chapter and that one of you gets the lyrical reference that is about to follow.**

Chapter 7: Stained Snow

_I don't need to be kind to the armies of night that would do such injustice to you._

"So why did you choose me to be up here with you?" Weiss asked.

"Huh?"

Ruby's stopped looking through the scope of her rifle long enough to shoot Weiss a quizzical glance.

"You had us split the three teams into two groups, one for the ground and one for the roof. You sent Lie Ren, who has guns for range, down with Jaune, who has a more melee focused style of fighting. You asked Team CRDL to divide the same way, a ranged fighter and a melee fighter" Weiss finished.

"Yeah, what's your point?"

"Well we both have guns. Yes, we both have attachments to our guns that let us fight well in closer combat situations, but it doesn't change that we are both armed with guns. Blake lost her pistol and Gambol Shroud isn't what I would attach the label 'ranged weapon' to. Yang has those Ember Celica gauntlets but they don't seem to function as a gun."

"Well yeah, they just kind of knock enemies backward with the blast. She explained all the science to me once, but I don't remember. I guess that is a little imbalanced when I think about it, but at least we'll have plenty of opportunities to snipe at anyone who tries to approach the building" Ruby replied.

It had been about five minutes since Ruby had described her plan for splitting their forces between the roof and the ground. The sky was still a constant source of flashing lights and resonating explosions but no airjets had attempted to fire upon their building yet. Grimm were still attacking the nearby buildings but there seemed to be no defenders to meet them.

In fact the closet battle between Beacon defenders and the Grimm was far away enough that Weiss needed to peer through Ruby's detachable rifle scope to observe it.

Weiss knew that part of the explanation for why they had not yet been attacked was the location of their residential hall. All of the residential halls that first year students lived in were on the outskirts of campus, farther away from the more concentrated buildings of the campus's center. The most important buildings surrounded Beacon Tower and radiated outwards from there. The farther away from the tower the more spaced out and new the buildings. The building that Team RWBY called home had been spared from assault so far. Weiss had a sinking feeling that would not last.

"Ruby, you never answered my question" Weiss said, remembering their conversation.

"I dunno Weiss, maybe it's because I like fighting with you beside me. You were the first partner I met during initiation" Ruby replied.

_"And all we did was bicker and almost get each other hurt in our first encounter together. But of course she forgot to mention that, she always seems to forget the rough parts of our training"_ Weiss mused.

"Uh-oh. Trouble, coming towards us fast! There's a pack of Boarbatusk charging towards the main entrance. They must have seen Yang and the others" Ruby shouted to the others on the roof.

Then Ruby addressed Weiss directly, Crescent Rose in her hands and in rifle form; the scythe not yet deployed.

"There's around a dozen of them. Ready to try out that new idea we had?"

"Ready."

Weiss spun the chamber on Myrtenaster until the light blue Dust was ready to be fired. Weiss aimed her revolver at the pack of charging Boarbatusk and tracked them as they came forward. She shifted the sights on her revolver to where she calculated the Boarbatusk would soon be and squeezed the trigger.

Weiss was no dreamer, she knew that Ruby was the far better shooter, but even still she felt a surge of pride when she saw the results of the shot she had fired. Eight of the Boarbatusk were either trapped in the field of ice or were slowed by the unexpected obstacle, a successful shot.

"Great job Weiss! Now, the next one. Quick!" Ruby ordered as she peered down the scope attached to Crescent Rose.

Weiss spun the revolver until the dark blue Dust was in the firing chamber. She aimed the revolver at Crescent Rose and prayed that their hastily concocted plan would work. Myrtenaster kicked in her hand and Ruby's pet rifle was surrounded with a blue aura.

_"If this backfires on us now..." _Weiss thought.

She watched as Ruby's body tensed and her finger closed on the trigger. The loud snap of the gunshot sent pain through Weiss's ears and she clapped her hands to her head. Despite the pain Weiss grinned with relief and pride. Ruby's hands had not even shaken when she fired. Crescent Rose was, temporarily, recoil free.

Ruby had said before that one drawback of the gun was that she could not use it as a sniper rifle effectively. Firing a single bullet normally caused the rifle to kick with such recoil that it would ruin any hope of another quick shot at the target. Now Weiss watched as the younger girl fired eight shots. When Weiss turned her gaze to the grounds in front of their building eight Boarbatusk had had their heads replaced with bloody chunks.

"_I hope I never see what that does to another human being" _Weiss reflected.

Then Ruby was tapping on her shoulder and shouting something at her. Weiss removed her hands from her ears and tried to hear her friend but the ringing in her ears still tolled like an unstoppable bell. After a moment her hearing returned enough for her to understand what Ruby was now shouting into her ear.

"That should make it much easier for the others downstairs to handle the remaining four. That was a really clever plan Weiss" Ruby shouted.

"We still need to watch out Ruby, I have a bad premonition that things are going to worsen before they get better" Weiss yelled back.

"A premo what?" Ruby asked.

Weiss was too preoccupied staring into the sky above them to hear Ruby's question. As if Weiss's words had been prophecy an airjet was now swooping towards their rooftop. She pointed Myrtenaster into the air and aimed as best as she could. She was nowhere near as accurate as she had been with her shot at the boar.

Ruby spun around and aimed Crescent Rose, which still glowed blue, at the approaching enemy. Weiss clapped her hands to her ears again as Ruby fired one, two, three shots at the gunship with no success. By then the airjet was in range of the building and the automatic guns attached to his vehicle began to spit death.

Ruby and Weiss dived for cover behind one of the brick chimneys on the otherwise flat roof. Nora and Pyrrah must have had the same idea as they huddled behind the chimney to Weiss and Ruby's left. Weiss did not know the two members of Team CRDL who had also been chosen to defend the roof with them but was happy to see that they managed to find cover behind the chimney to their right. Her happiness evaporated when one of the boys armed himself with two daggers that transformed into pistols.

Perhaps he had seen too many action movies. Maybe he had heard too many stories of heroes when he was younger. Weiss never found out.

He stepped from cover and began to empty both pistols at the airjet above them. Weiss could not tell how many bullets had hit the boy when he died. It was possible that it was the first bullet. It was possible it was one of the next dozen or so that hit him. Whichever bullet it was there was no doubt that he was dead when he fell backwards. The rooftop, like the rest of the campus, had been covered in several inches of snowfall. The snow absorbed the blood greedily and seemed to drink in what had so recently flowed through the boy's veins.

Weiss had never been one to grow queasy easily. Now she struggled not to retch as she shut her eyes and attempted to obliterate what she had just witnessed from her mind's eye. When the sweet, iron smell of blood reached her nose it was so potent that she could taste an imaginary coin on her tongue . The acidic flavor of bile was the next taste on her tongue.~~~

As Weiss retched beside her Ruby shouted orders over the chatter of the airjet's guns.

"Nora! Use your grenade launcher and fire at him the best you can, that airjet sounds like it's flying low. Pyrrah, use your shield to try and deflect the light of the sun at him! I need the time to line up the shot when he's not pinning us down!"

The female half of Team JNPR nodded in unison and peeked around their cover to find where the airjet now hovered in the air. Ruby leaned outwards enough to see that the airjet was in fact hovering lower in the air and nearer to the building.

_"I can make the shot, I need to make the shot" _she told herself.

One person had already been killed by the airjet and she would rather die herself than let another person die under her leadership. She ducked back under cover and checked that Crescent Rose was ready to fire when the time came. She crouched down further when the airjet directed another stream of bullets at the central chimney where she and Weiss were hidden behind. Pieces of shattered brick scratched her face and hands as they knifed through the air.

"Over here you son of a bitch!" Pyrrah cried.

Ruby glanced to the left as Nora stood, launching grenades over the short stack of the chimney. Pyrrah had her shield strapped to her arm and was angling in the direction of the airjet. The airjet pilot's aim began to shift left towards the two girls, but then went high and wild.

"Now Ruby!" Nora and Pyrrah shouted.

Ruby sprang up and brought the scope of the rifle to her eye and aimed. The cockpit of the airjet was swaying uncertainly as the pilot attempted to adjust for the unexpected glare. Ruby exhaled and set her sights on the cockpit of the ship and squeezed the trigger. The window of the cockpit exploded inwards and then the airjet was spinning out of control. Ruby watched as it spiraled downwards and then crashed into the ground a safe distance away.

Ruby was still staring at the burning wreckage when she heard shouts and feet stampeding up the stairs. She turned in time to see Yang, Blake, Jaune and the others crash through the door that lead to the rooftop. In less than a second Ruby was being crushed in an embrace from her older sister.

"Are you alright Ruby!? We had just started fighting those four Boarbatusk when we heard the sound of gunshots and an airjet. As soon as we had killed all of the Boarbatusk we ran as fast we could. Ruby what happened, talk to me Rubes!" Yang shouted.

Ruby stepped out of her older sister's embrace and pointed to the burning pile of wreckage that had been the airjet. Then she pointed to her right, to the boy who had been alive only moments earlier.

"I'm going to be sick" Jaune said.

Ruby heard the sounds of Jaune and another member of Team CRDL being sick as if they were a thousand miles away. All of a sudden she felt more exhausted than she ever had before, as if she had been fighting for a dozen years instead of a dozen minutes. She slowly sank to the ground next to Weiss and placed an arm around her friend. Weiss was now simply quiet, and she rested her head against Ruby's shoulder.

"What now?" Weiss said.

"I don't know. Yang, you can be in charge now. What should we do?" Ruby asked.

"Let's all get off of this roof to start, it's too open and no good will come of us staying here. Somebody go down and find some sheets or something to cover... err" Yang said hesitantly.

"Sky Lark. His name was Sky Lark. We only just called him Lark. He said he was going to visit his family for the winter break, he was excited for it" Cardin said.

A few minutes later found the eleven of them downstairs by the entrance. They had left Sky Lark in one of the small common rooms, wrapped in a number of dark sheets. There was mostly silence as the students monitored the battle or tended to the minor wounds that they had received.

Ruby was bandaging a cut she had not noticed before on her leg. The bullet had probably struck her when she was diving for cover or lining up her shot on the airjet, but she did not know for sure. So much adrenaline had been flowing through her system that she hadn't noticed until she had sat down in the lobby and started to drip dark red on the white couch cushions. She was wrapping a shred of sheet around the injury when a new uproar began. Those who had been watching the windows began to point and mutter to themselves. Then they began to shout aloud in a mix of fear and joy.

"Everyone look, I think something's happening!" Jaune exclaimed.

"What? What is it?" Ruby asked, rising from the couch.

She hurried over to the window and watched as a strange sight unfolded before them. Grimm were fleeing the battle en masse; they slithered, sprinted, and sprang towards the Emerald Forest without even seeming to notice that there were students and staff still sending ranged attacks at them.

"What do you think caused them to suddenly all run like that?" Blake asked.

"They may have all been under some kind of hypnotic spell to attack the campus. I read somewhere that they never leave the Emerald Forest, not even to save their own lives. I know that there are magical spells to alert the school if a stray Grimm ever does leave the forest but it seems like they stay inside naturally" Pyrrah suggested.

When Pyrrah mentioned the possibility of hypnotic control Ruby peered at Weiss, who was standing to her left. Weiss eyes were turned to the ground and her shoulders were slumped forward. Weiss had already lectured Ruby several times about her poor posture, and had suggested that Ruby follow her example.

"Weiss, you alright?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah.. yeah. Just tired, I think. All I want is to go back to bed and sleep for a few days" Weiss replied, straightening herself.

"I gotcha, same here."

The two girls stood beside another and witnessed the last of the Grimm horde flowing past their building and towards the Emerald Forest.

"The airjets, I think they're going to!" Cardin yelled.

He was right, the airjets were reversing their engines and firing the last of their ammunition to cover their retreat. One of the airjets was struck with a bolt of lightning and fell out of the sky. It's descending path took it behind several buildings and out of the group's sight. The orange glow of an explosion lit the air above where the airjet had gone down and Ruby felt a small surge of happiness. It was replaced by a pang of guilt.

_"The pilots of that ship deserved that, but I still shouldn't be happy about it. I hope somebody goes to the crash site and at least gives them some kind of burial..." _Ruby thought.

The image of the burning wreckage of the airjet that she had helped to destroy appeared in her mind.

"We need to go out there guys, grab some more sheets. We need to see this thing through to the end."

And so a few minutes later Ruby approached the smoldering carcass of an airjet. Based on the craters and distribution of the wreckage Ruby determined that the airjet had skipped once upon impact and then crashed down for the final time. In its dying seconds the airjet had also crashed into a large, stone fountain. Water still sprayed into the air from a hole in the ground and shimmered with the reflection of the tiny fires still burning.

The walk across the common area had only taken several minutes but already the sky was growing darker.

_"It looked so beautiful this morning... I forgot that winter is almost here" _Ruby thought.

Everything that had happened earlier in the day; walking with Yang to the hospital, Blake's confession, and sitting at the piano with Weiss all seemed as if it had happened weeks ago. Ruby was still lost in her thoughts when she heard someone shout her name.

"We found him Ruby, grab those sheets we brought" Yang called.

The eleven students converged on the body, which was lying face down several yards from the front end of the helicopter.

"He must have been ejected when the crash happened" Lie Ren said.

"Looks like it. Alright then, let's get this over with. Someone help me tip him over so we can at least shut his eyes" Ruby said.

Yang bent to help her and the two of them rolled the body so it rested on its back. They both gasped.

"H-help me... crash musda broked my nose... and the shod. I think somebody shod me, wend through shoulder" he muttered.

For a moment Ruby was too stunned to speak. Then her mind began to race again and she yelled at the others to tear strips from the sheet. Somebody handed her a cut of the cloth and she bent to apply pressure to the man's wounded shoulder. It was her proximity to the man that finally caused her to recognize him.

"Roman Torchwick!? You! You were the one that started all of this, you bastard!" Ruby shouted.

"Oh gread, gread. Of course the Rose girl finds me..."

"How did you know my name? And why did you do it? Speak up, why did you attack us? How did you break the shield around the school? Don't you understand that people died because of your greed!" Ruby screamed.

She unfolded Crescent Rose into its shotgun-like form and stared down at the criminal. Her arm shook and for a moment the only noise she heard was a roaring static. Then a hand was on her wrist and cool, soft fingers stroked her arm.

"Calm down Ruby. He's going to answer all of those questions and more when the police arrive to arrest him. For now we need to make sure that he doesn't bleed to death. We'll never be able to understand why this happened if he doesn't live to see an interrogation room" Weiss said.

"Wasn'd even me who planned id either... 'm jusd one of her capdains."

"Who's captain? Tell us what you know!" Yang demanded.

That was when the darkening skies grew bright and a crash split the air. When Ruby looked up it took her a second to place what was wrong. Where Beacon Tower had stood there was now only the distant oranges and reds of fire.

"There she is" Roman Torchwick offered simply.


	8. Chapter 8: Ideas

**A/N: This story really has been a journey to write and there have been a lot of developments that I never saw coming. But this, this part right here. I've been imagining this scene in my head for a long time and think that y'all will really enjoy it. So far I've seen a great bit of support from all of y'all and that's awesome. **

**Alright so here are some other notes on the story and my ideas so far. I am still sticking with my belief that everyone has magical potential but not always the ability to use it, which I am planning to explore further as the story goes on. I am also planning to touch on the larger world of "Remnant" (I think that's what they called it), so that should be fun. **

**Another topic that I would love to give attention to would be: **

**1. Why do Rose and Yang have different last names even if they refer to each other as "sis"?**

**2. What ever happened with Weiss's mother's death that I have been teasing so long? **

**So besides that I think this story will evolve and advance as time goes on and my word count continues. Already at over 25k, like woahhhhh. I've placed a lot of work into this story and am really happy with the results. OH, and another thing to mention is that you should all go and buy the RWBY soundtrack because it is pretty kickass and the team-up of Jeff/Casey-Lee Williams is frigging great. **_**Red Like Roses Pt II **_**and **_**Mirror Mirror **_**are my two favorite songs off of the album. **

**Stay beautiful and have a wonderful Thanksgiving! **

Chapter 8: Ideas

_In which we go backwards fifteen minutes and forward forty-eight hours. _

Glynda Goodwitch was thirty-four. She had grown up in a small town in Vale and studied hard as a student. She was accepted into Beacon Academy when she was just fifteen. Her desire and dedication for magical knowledge had assisted her in ascending to the top of her class.

When she had met Professor Ozpin he was not yet Headmaster and his hair had still been jet black. He had smoked six or more cigarettes each day instead of drinking coffee, something that she herself had helped to change. After she had graduated she had joined the school as a teaching and combat training instructor. Professor Ozpin had written the recommendation himself and had appointed her his personal assistant her first day of work. She remembered it as one of the happiest days of her life.

Now she had been working for years at what she considered her dream job. So there was no question in her mind when the shield broke about what she had to do.

_"I need to defend the school. This is much too grave to be the work of a thief like Torchwick. Something else is afoot here and all of the students are in danger. What would Ozpin do?" _Glynda thought.

The first thought that hit her was a comforting one. Beacon had many defenses, not just the shield. She moved a mug of coffee on the Headmaster's desk and sent a magical touch into the wood of the desk. A whirring click greeted her ears and a small, smooth plate of Oliphant Tusk rose from the desk. She pressed down on the plate and a simple holographic panel appeared in the air.

**Launch Emergency Defenses: NOW or IN [X] MINUTES? **

The sign said nothing else, not even an option to cancel launching the defenses. Ozpin had told her that if it truly was an emergency situation than there was no need to install a cancellation button.

"Besides, what if some villain catches me in the act of activating them and then tries to deactivate it? If there was a simple 'cancel' button than that would be the end of Beacon Academy" Ozpin had said.

At the time it had seemed a bit silly and dramatic to her. Now, as she activated the button that read "**NOW**", she though what he had said was entirely reasonable. A series of beeps confirmed her finger print and then she rushed outside to the window sill to see what was transpiring. She threw open the large windows and stared out at the scene that greeted her eyes.

Airjets swooped low, shooting bullets and rockets. Magical shields appeared in the air to deflect and absorb some of the bullets and explosions. Glynda smiled to see that the defenses had indeed been launched. From the direction of the Emerald Forest she could make out the shapes of Grimm charging toward the campus in the freshly fallen snow. As they moved closer to the center of campus enormous vines erupted from the ground beneath them in a deadly embrace. But there were far too many of the creatures for the vines to capture or kill and too many aircraft were assaulting too many areas at once.

She ground her teeth and looked at the destruction that was already beginning. She was thinking of other defensive spells that she could activate when the first airjet made a pass at Beacon Tower, which dominated the skyline of the campus.

The airjet circled the building at about the same level as the room that Glynda was in. So, when the pilot of the gunship lazily hovered in place to line up an easier shot, she projected her aura in a purple sphere around the gunship. Glynda's intention was to put the pilot and his aircraft out of action so she could hopefully question him later. But then the panicked pilot fired his missiles at the bubble of magic that surrounded him. The flash of an explosion briefly made her cover her eyes and when she looked out the window a cloud of smoke filled her sphere of aura. She let it drop. Rather than following the path of the wreckage to the ground she looked to the sky for more threats.

For the next few minutes another pair of airjets attempted to assault the tower. A brief storm of vicious hail damaged both of the threatening crafts and sent them off in retreat.

_"I need to see how things are going on the ground level, Grimm are probably at the entrance right now" _Glynda thought.

Normally she was adverse to casting teleportation spells, she thought they were taxing and unnecessary, but now she changed her mind. She waved her wand around her head, closed her eyes, and concentrated on the appropriate spell. When she opened her eyes she was on the ground floor of Beacon Tower. She pushed through the lobby's doors and searched for any possible threats in the area. For the moment none of the airjets or Grimm seemed to be interested in assaulting the building.

So Glynda used her brief respite to root deep within her mind for any other defenses she could utilize.

_"Damn me, why didn't I think of that earlier. This should hold back some of the Grimm until help arrives" _Glynda thought.

Then she realized that she had no idea if help was coming or how soon it would arrive. The police were already stretched thin handling the riots in the city and it was doubtful that Her Majesty's Army would arrive quickly. Even Ozpin was away in the distant capital. Ozpin was undoubtedly a powerful force with magic, but even he would not be able to teleport himself that far of a distance.

So Glynda Goodwitch gritted herself for the battle ahead and bent down to the ground. She whispered several words as she pressed a hand to the snow-covered earth and was rewarded with a whooshing noise. She looked up and across the common in time to see the statues begin to move. The monument she was looking at was labeled _The Coercers _after the hooded man and woman who stood atop it. The two hooded statues jumped to the ground, weapons in hand. They were joined by the statue of a Beowolf who had been at the foot of the monument. The three ran off towards the growing sounds of fighting.

_"Another dozen statues will be joining the fight from all around campus, that should give me enough time to send a more detailed distress message out."_

Glynda knew that the automated distress signal would have already alerted the police but this particular situation was more desperate than usual. As she formulated the content of the message in her head she heard the sound of a spell speeding towards her. She dove to the right and heard the sound of an explosion behind her roared louder than thunder. Two more blood red spells flew at her and she waved her wand hastily. A gigantic hand manifested in the air and caught the two spells. The two spells detonated a second later and her magical hand disappeared.

Glynda quickly sent a wind to scatter the smoke lingering in front of her like a fog. When the black cloud in front of her parted she viewed her attacker for the first time. She recognized her almost instantly; it was the same woman who Glynda had skirmished with weeks ago during Torchwick's Dust robbery. The mysterious woman was again clad in her short red dress which had glowing yellow markings. The glowing markings reminded Glynda of ancient runes that she had once studied. She was fairly certain that they came from isles far across the sea, where strange magic was used. The strangest characteristic of the woman was how even her eyes glowed with a peculiar flame.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Glynda demanded.

The only answer she received was another spell. A silver streak sped towards Glynda and she easily evaded the spell with a simple dodge. She rolled, stood, and launched one, two, three stunning spells at her opponent. The strange woman opened her arms and the three spells slammed into her chest. For the blink of an eye the yellow designs on the woman's chest shone so brilliantly that Glynda instinctively shut her own eyes.

When she opened them again the woman was close enough to kiss her.

"I am Cinder. I was born of the Fire and I will give you to the Fire."

Before she could even stumble backwards Glynda felt Cinder grab her arm. Then Glynda was flying, flying, flying, through the air. She crashed through the ground entrance doors of Beacon Tower. The arm that she had been thrown by felt as if glass were sliding around inside it. She managed to struggle to her feet as Cinder walked inside.

"Still conscious are we? Tisk tisk, I can't steal what I want with you still in my way. I'll have to finish this up quickly" Cinder said.

Glynda tried to think of some spell to use, but none came.

_"She absorbed them... how do I hit her with magic when she can just absorb it? Oh Goddess Above what do I do now?" _

Then an idea came to her, one that would require her to become death itself. It was magic that was highly illegal to even know of and almost treason to actually be able to cast in Vale. But when Glynda had travelled in her fifth year as an instructor at Beacon she had been introduced to it.

It had been far to the south, where the Republic maintained very few laws on magic. It had been almost too simple to learn about in her time in the foreign temples. The spell had been created in a time of darkness, when Grimm had nearly made humanity extinct. Before the discovery and weaponization of Dust a small enclave of humans had developed black magic to help them in their fight with the Grimm. The particular spell that Glynda was thinking of allowed the user to link themselves with another creature, usually a Grimm. The members of the enclave had used it to link with the alpha members of packs of Grimm. Once they had done that the "Coercers", as they were soon labeled, lead the packs of Grimm far away from any humans.

Though the strategy did give humans the breathing room needed to gear up for future battles with the Grimm the magic was soon banned. When the user of the spell was still magically connected to a Grimm that died they too would die. The other, perhaps worse, effect was that those who spent too much time linked with the Grimm began to go insane. So, to keep such double-edged magic away from the public, the history books only vaguely told of the "Coercers" and never mentioned their dangerous ideas.

Glynda was unsure if anyone had ever used the spell on a human. She wasn't even sure if the spell could be cast on another human. But she did now that she was going to lose her fight with Cinder. So she mustered her strength for a final all-or-nothing assault. Luckily her wand-holding hand had not been the one broken in her crash entry into the building. She fired four spells at Cinder, one directly at her, one to each side, and one above her. Cinder easily deflected the first one, and then blocked the two meant to hit her on each flank.

"Hah! Growing so weak already? Your other spell didn't even come near me!" Cinder laughed.

Glynda's response was to run forward at the other woman, uninjured hand outstretched. Cinder snorted with laughter again and in her hands two daggers of flame appeared. Before Cinder could throw them Glynda's fourth spell rocketed into her from behind. Cinder's surprise lasted only a second and the spell barely hurt her; but nevertheless it sealed her fate. Glynda grinned slightly just as her hand closed on Cinder's wrist.

"I always knew I'd find a use for that boomerang trick Ozpin taught me" she said.

Glynda used up most of her remaining energy to place the spell on Cinder. Then she felt two fiery blades enter her stomach and she stumbled backwards. She fell to her knees and stared at the blades jutting from her belly. Then she found herself peering through Cinder's eyes at herself.

"W-what did you do? What the hell have you done!?" Cinder screamed.

Glynda heard the words in her ears while she simultaneously spoke them from her own mouth. Her mind began to fill with too much information and sensory overload began to override her conscious.

_"Oh Goddess why did I do this?" _two minds thought.

That was when Cinder fell to her knees as well and Glynda noticed that blood was darkening Cinder's dress too.

"This magic. You've j-joined us? I'm... dying?" Cinder said, surprised.

Both of their heads were now aching sharply with the worst headaches they had ever experienced. Both started to lose track of which mind and body they belonged in. Old memories that they had never seen came unbidden to their minds. They screamed in unison.

Then Glynda suddenly found herself back inside her body, staring at Cinder with clarity. The woman in the red dress was losing control of her magic and her dress began to burn. A wave of hot air hit her skin and she wondered what was about to happen. Was Cinder's magic about to explode, as untamed magic sometimes did? Was this dying? Did the Goddess Above punish those who used black magic like she had? What did this Cinder woman desire so much that was hidden in Beacon? Glynda wondered all these things, feeling strangely calm.

Then, Cinder's entire being seemed to erupt in fire and Glynda wondered no more. ~~~

Weiss stepped into the shower when the glass door began to fog up. The hot water greeted her with its almost, but not quite, burning touch. She let the water cascade down her back and let it soak into her hair. She grabbed a bar of soap from the rack and began to scrub her skin. There was a copious amount of dirt, dried blood, and sweat to wash off her skin.

It had been almost three days since she had last showered. The night before she had been released from her bed in the Healer's Ward was the last time she had cleaned herself up. The next day had been what was now being tentatively labeled as the 'Battle for Beacon'. But the destruction of Beacon Tower had not been the end of the night for Weiss and her teammates.

Almost as soon as the tower had exploded teachers had barred any student from nearing the crater where the school's most prominent building had stood. At that time all of the students had been urged back into their dorms to await further updates on the situation. Nobody had been able to sleep, not after the events that had already occurred. Darkness had just recently descended on the campus when the first reports of Glynda Goodwitch's fate had begun to circulate around the students. Students were messaging one another with rumors, speculation, and other half-truths.

Weiss had witnessed the explosion, albeit from afar, and began to believe that the climactic point of the battle had indeed involved the stern Goodwitch. Ruby had been the most adamant in denying the truth of the morbid rumors. She had continually stated that Goodwitch had been so skilled and calm during her first engagement with Torchwick.

"I'm sure she's just missing because she's helping some group of kids or faculty somewhere. The campus is pretty big after all, she could easily be in some secret tunnel or facility that nobody else knows about. Just stay positive everyone" Ruby had said.

As the night had gone on the reports of Goodwitch's death had become increasingly numerous and plausible. Ruby had grown so upset and angry in her denials of the rumors that Weiss had had Blake and Yang help her convince Ruby to go back inside their dorm. Almost as soon as Weiss had closed the door to their room Ruby had climbed onto her bed and went silent. Weiss and the other girls had been too exhausted to do anything else but climb onto their beds and fall asleep as well.

But even that had not been so simple or easy to do. Weiss spent most of that night twisting and readjusting herself in the bed. Images of Sky Lark collaosing to the ground refused to leave her alone. When the dawn had broken Weiss had felt as if she had slept for maybe half an hour.

That day had been filled with more confusion and rumors. Police and military personnel had swarmed campus and were interviewing anyone who claimed to know something about what had happened. Slowly a story started to take shape surrounding the mysterious destruction of Beacon Tower. Some students had apparently seen a strange woman covered in odd tattoos battling with Goodwitch near Beacon Tower. Then there had been a gigantic explosion that had incinerated the bottom half of the tower. The rest of the tower had crashed down into the crater, where it still lay as rubble.

Weiss had spent much of yesterday watching the news along with other students in their residential building. Soon it was obvious that the riots in the city and the investigation of the Chief of Police's murder were no longer the center of attention. In fact as the day went on it was mentioned, and later confirmed, that the rioters had abandoned their various occupation sites. Later that evening there had even been footage of Faunus and humans meeting together in the city's public parks and squares for vigils. The number of fatalities and casualties in the riots was uncertain, but definitely over a hundred.

Another major piece of information that had been reported on yesterday evening was that Roman Torchwick was in custody. Weiss and her friends had been the ones who had turned over a bound, bleeding, and cursing Torchwick to some of the first police officers to arrive. Teams RWBY, JNPR, and CRDL had all been questioned thoroughly about their involvement in the capture of the fugitive.

The police revealing the names of people who were confirmed to be missing had been the last major story of the night. Glynda Goodwitch had been one of them. After that the glum members of Team RWBY had retired to their room. Ruby had not uttered a word the entire day.

Weiss finished up her washing and stepped out of the shower. She dressed herself in a simple black dress and let her hair spill out behind her. It was early morning and Weiss planned to call her father and later join the candle-lit vigil that was to be held on campus that evening. She walked out of the bathroom she shared with her teammates and into their room. That was when Weiss noticed Ruby sitting on her bunk.

Weiss sat down next to Ruby and looked at her friend. Instead of shaking with tears Ruby seemed to be shaking with anger.

"Uh... Ruby? Are you, uh, alright?" Weiss asked.

_"That sounded awful, why am I so bad at comforting others?" _Weiss thought when Ruby did not respond at first.

"I wanted to kill him Weiss. I wanted to pull the trigger on Crescent Rose and just erase his life. I can't believe I wanted to do that. What's wrong with me?"

Weiss was taken aback. She had assumed that Ruby would be grieving for Glynda, but this was something else entirely.

"I... I think I understand why you would want that Ruby. I'm fairly certain that the news are right and that he was one of the evil bastards who planned this attack. I know that what you desire most is some vengeance for what happened to Goodwitch and Sky Lark and everyone else who was hurt. But ultimately killing Torchwick wouldn't have done anything to bring them back" Weiss finished.

"You... you understand? You don't think I'm crazy for thinking that way?" Ruby questioned.

"No, no I do not. You have a good heart Ruby, that's easy to tell. You're often insufferable and headstrong, but that doesn't change your goodness."

Ruby chuckled.

"What's funny Ruby?" Weiss asked, puzzled.

"Only you would call me insufferable, princess."

Weiss smiled, hearing Ruby refer to her as "princess" was a good sign. She placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder and squeezed slightly.

"Only you would insist on using the name 'princess', Ruby."

Ruby turned to face Weiss, a smile beautifying her features.

"You know Weiss, you really aren't a mean girl at all. Sometimes you try to act like it, but I know you're only pretending. You keep calling me annoying, but I think you don't view that as a bad trait" Ruby declared.

"Oh no, I'm completely serious about that sometimes. When you snore up there it drives me insane."

"Well I have to put up with you singing in the shower when I'm trying to study. Your voice carries through the wall and distracts me."

"Are you calling me a bad singer Ruby?" Weiss said jokingly.

"Nonono, that's not what I meant. It's actually the opposite. You're really good, so I always listen in."

Weiss noticed that Ruby blushed a little when she answered and felt heat creep into her cheeks as well.

"So, uhm... Are you going to the vigil tonight?" Weiss asked.

"Huh? Oh, that vigil! Yes, of course. I'll shower and change soon. I guess we can go find some food at one of the halls, I hear they reopened this morning."

"That sounds like a good plan" Weiss agreed.

Then Ruby went quiet for a few minutes and looked at the floor. Weiss wondered if something was wrong and was about to ask Ruby what was the matter when she spoke up.

"I have an idea. Something that we could do together to help everyone right now. Want to hear it Weiss?"

"Shouldn't you either stick with Weiss or stick with 'princess'?"

"Nope. I can use whichever, whenever" Ruby replied.

"Never mind, just tell me your idea."

"What if... what if we did a kind of concert in honor of everyone that was hurt in the fighting? We can both carry a tune and maybe you could play some guitar or piano too. We could play inside the Healer's Ward, or maybe in some other spot where the injured can see. I think it could cheer them up and show everyone that we'll get through this is a school. What do you think Weiss?"

"Ruby, that idea is... it's..." Weiss trailed off.

"A bad one. I thought you would think that. Forget I mentioned anything" Ruby said, a glum look returning to her face.

"That is an amazing idea."

Ruby's eyes opened wide in surprise.

"You think so? Would you be willing to do that with me?"

"I would love to help you, that sounds like it could work really well" Weiss said.

Ruby began to shake again; this time with barely contained happiness. She threw her arms around Weiss's neck and squeezed her in a tight embrace. Weiss hugged her back and felt better than she had in days.

_"We can do this, we can help everyone recover" _Weiss thought.

When Ruby pulled back her head from Weiss's shoulder she wore a beaming smile. Weiss couldn't have articulated why, but she was sure that Ruby's smiles were always genuine. A few seconds later Weiss realized that the two of them were in a position that she had seen many times in the cinema. Ruby's arms were around Weiss's neck and Weiss's hands were on Ruby's sides. Their faces were close.

"I have an idea Ruby."

Weiss leaned forward and, for the second time that week, they kissed.


	9. Chapter 9: Shades of Crimson

**A/N: Hey, hey errybody. Hope y'all had some happy times with your family over this Thanksgiving down time. I had a great time of things chowing down on gravy-smothered turkey, mashed taters, and many a delicious and fattening dessert. Anyways, I took Thanksgiving through Saturday off from writing to relax and what not. So, here I am on a Sunday night starting another chapter in this growing saga of love and loss. **

**But when you think about it, everything is really about love and loss at some level or another?**

**So I did start this chapter on that Sunday, but then I was on a retreat from Wednesday the 4th until Saturday the 7th. I've also been swamped with exams, essays, and bracing myself for midterms as well as attempting to finish my college supplements. Long story short, my updates will be somewhat less frequent. At least until December 10th anyways. I hope you guys will still stick around for more chapters for as long as the Muse continues to feed me ideas. **

**I am excited to see where Ruby and Weiss will be going from the previous, rather climactic, chapter. Things will certainly not just be smooth sailing from here on out for our protagonists. Far too much fallout from other, bigger events surround them. **_**But this chapter will actually be a special one, a kind of one-shot deal that you'll have to read to see about. **_

**AN IMPORTANT NOTE ON GEOGRAPHY: I have no skills whatsoever in drawing or photo-shopping so I cannot get you guys a map of the RWBY world besides the one that Monty already created. So for reference I will say that the kingdom of Vale in that one on the western end of the continent that has two shiny light thingies on it. The continent also kind of looks like a smiley face, if that helps you locate it. **

**You can find the canon map of the RWBY world on the RWBY wiki, which is a handy dandy little place that I often find myself using. **_**Lorde**_**, **_**John Fahey**_**, and the RWBY Soundtrack were some of my favorites to listen to whilst writing this one. **

**As always, I hope you enjoy! **

Chapter 9: Shades of Crimson

_In which we have an awkward conversation with our sis, travel far across the land, and read a note that will change everything._

Yang had no clue what she had just intruded upon. Everything she had seen beforehand was sensible; the door to the dormitory building, the corridor she lived on, and her room's door. When she opened her door life ceased to make sense.

Her little sister, her sis, _her Ruby_, was sitting on Weiss' bed, embracing the white-haired girl. Except... it was not a simple hug. Weiss' hands were on Ruby's sides, Ruby's around arms were draped around Weiss' neck. Their eyes were shut as if the two of them had no need for any sense but touch. Even if they had just been able to sense touch, they would have been sensing quite a bit.

Their lips met in quick, shy kisses that were more than simple pecks but less than anything that could be termed "making out". Their noses continually bumped and their hands were awkwardly rigid. It was clumsy. It was eager. _It was her little sister. _

_"This is the weirdest nightmare" _Yang thought.

Yang was almost certain that she was fast asleep, in some odd, stress-induced dream. Then Ruby angled her head in the direction of the door to release a small cough. Ruby's eyes met with her Yang's the instant they opened. The urge to flee through the still-open door, to spring away from the surreal, awkward situation, coursed through Yang's body. But, like many of the normal forest creatures, she was unable to move.

She felt like her legs were stone pillars, immobile and useless.

_"I gotta get out of this nightmare, this seems way too real." _

Thankfully, her legs suddenly seemed to regain their ability to move and she took a step backwards. She was just about to pivot and make her escape when Weiss looked over and noticed her. The blood drained from Weiss' face so quickly that Yang was sure she could almost see through the girl.

"H-hey Yang" Ruby said in a voice that was no more than a whisper.

"Hullo sis..." Yang greeted.

_"This can't be real, but I can't help but think that it is!" _she thought.

Weiss only stared at her, seemingly paralyzed. Ruby, on the other hand blushed redder than the dark strands of scarlet in her hair. She removed her hands from around Weiss and straightened her posture, as if she were at attention for some commanding officer. Weiss allowed her hands to fall from Ruby's side, but did not make a single movement more.

"When... uh. When are you two coming to dinner?" Yang asked.

"Get out. Now."

The snow-like pallor that had been on Weiss' face was now replaced with a deep red that was both embarrassment and anger. If Yang had to guess she would say anger was the more abundant. Ruby's face grew worried and she attempted to place an arm around her friend's shoulders.

_"Or are those her girlfriend's shoulder's?" _Yang wondered, more confused than she could ever remember being.

"I told you to _get out_!"

Yang took another step backward, hesitant and unsure of what her next move should be. Part of her wanted to run up and shake Ruby while demanding answers; but she knew that she would only make the moment worse. Just then Ruby spoke up again, and though her voice was still softer than usual, it was firm.

"Give us a minute sis. I'll be right out, alright?"

Yang's fiercely protective nature still pressured her to discover the truth of what she had intruded upon, but she suppressed the feeling. Her respect for Ruby and the maturity that she had shown just recently in the battle convinced Yang to retreat from the room.

When the door was safely closed behind her Yang stood with her back to the corridor hall and slid slowly downwards until she landed on the floor.

_"Is this even real? Was Ruby actually just kissing Weiss? I mean girls experiment, I get that. But _Weiss_? I really hope I didn't just discover my sister is dating Weiss by walking in on them kissing."_

Then Yang realized that Ruby might have been following her older sister's example, as she had done before.

_"But I didn't think she even knew about Blake and I! ...does she know? Is that why she's experimenting with a girl?" _

Even as Yang thought about Ruby making out with girls she pushed it out of her head. Ruby was nothing if not an independent spirit, and did the opposite of what Yang did more often than she followed in her older sister's footsteps. In fact Ruby usually approached something new by first doing the opposite of Yang did. Only after having the first method fail her would Ruby follow what Yang had done. The reason Ruby's hair was short and straight was because Yang's was long and filled with curls.

Yang took comfort in the fact that even if Ruby did now about her relationship with Bake that was likely not the reason why Ruby had decided to kiss Weiss.

_"Wait a second... Did Ruby even start the kiss?" _

The thought of Weiss making romantic advances on her sister made Yang's stomach roll with its weird implications. She was saved from that odd train of thought by Ruby, who walked out of the door. She closed the door behind her and Yang stood up. For a moment they just looked at each other, neither seeming to know how to start the conversation.

"So uh... I thought you liked, ya know, boys" Yang started.

"Well... it's not like I don't like boys. I think boys are great and everything... you know how well I get along with anybody at all" Ruby replied, shuffling her feet awkwardly. She refused to lift her eyes from the floor.

"Didn't you say you thought Jaune was cute?"

Now Ruby's eyed snapped upwards to meet Yang's with a defiant glare.

"Yaaaang! I meant... he's cute like a puppy who keeps knocking things over on accident. It's not the same kind of cute!" Ruby replied.

"I know what you mean. So... you think Weiss is a special kind of cute then, sis?"

"Yeah, yeah I guess so. We don't do that a lot or anything, that was the first time actually. We were just talking and I hugged her and then... Hey wait a sec! Why do you get to ask me all of the questions? I'm not oblivious Yang. You hug and tease Blake an awful lot, even for best friends."

Now it was Yang whose cheeks went scarlet and eyes started to study the floor beneath her.

"You two hang out alone more often than Weiss and I do. In fact, even more than you and I do. I get that you don't want to hang out with your brat sister all the time, but still. You two spend so much time together" Ruby finished.

"Yeah, we do. Look, Ruby. I haven't been totally open with you about Blake and I. All I'll say for now is that yes, there is a 'Blake and I'. I need to go find her and talk to her and then hopefully I can sit down and explain it all to you. Just don't say anything to her, alright? I'd kick your scrawny butt if you did."

Ruby smiled when she heard the teasing threat. Yang smiled back and a heaviness that she had not even noticed was lifted from the air. Then Ruby took a step forward and hugged Yang.

"Just tell me two things Yang" she said into her sister's shoulder.

"What?" Yang asked, worried.

"How long?"

"Since... since we were your age" Yang replied.

"Would you not love me as much if I did want a girlfriend?"

Ruby's voice was so small as she asked the question that Yang almost missed it. When she processed the content of the question she felt her heart almost break in two.

_"She's terrified. With everything that's happened lately I'd almost forgotten that she's two years younger than me. She's acted so brave and strong that I haven't even thought about how tough this all must be on her" _Yang thought.

She separated herself from Ruby so the younger girl was at arm's length and clapped her hands on Ruby's shoulders.

"Ruby Rose. If you _ever_ doubt that I'd stop loving as much as I do than maybe I really will have to knock some sense into you. You're my sister and I love you. Nothing is going to change that Rubes."

Yang could see Ruby trying to stifle her tears and failing. Warm, wet drop leaked from her eyes too. She crushed her sister in a bear hug and did not let go until the sniffling sounds of Ruby crying subsided. Then Ruby stepped backwards, a smile was on her face. She punched Yang on the shoulder.

"_That _is for making me cry like a little kid.

Yang stared at her sister for a moment before the two of them erupted in laughter.

"Yang... I gotta go inside and talk to Weiss. Whatever you hear don't come in, okay? I think she's probably pretty mad at me. But that's okay. I'm gonna calm her down and things will be alright, I know it. Then we can go eat, I'm starved."

Yang wiped some remaining moisture from her eyes and then nodded. She trusted her sister to do what was right. Her mind was still full of doubts and uncertainties, but that was acceptable. They had gotten through a gory attack and they would get through this.

Ruby stepped back inside and shut the door behind her. For a few seconds there was silence. Then the shouting began. ~~~

The day was warm for fall. The air held none of the nipping cold that had been present the past several days. Even the wind had decided against blowing through the hills and forests. As far as autumn weather, the day was perfect. Well, not exactly. There was still the rain to contend with.

The rain had not started that day, nor had it started the day before. Nobody remembered precisely when it had started, but most thought it had been several weeks prior. Sometimes there were downpours and sometimes the rain was only a small drizzle.

"And of course today it had to pour outside. Damn my luck" grumbled the man.

His clothes had already absorbed so much water that he was sure he weighed several pounds more than when he had set out that mourning. Even though he had donned one of the faded blue and green ponchos heading out of his tent he still felt water seeping into his coat. There was no doubt in his mind that he would need to change into fresh clothes before he caught the flux that some of the men at camp had caught.

The man pushed thoughts of camp and the flux from his mind as he reached the apex of the hill he had been climbing. Only one thing concerned him now. It was Death. He carried it in his right hand, wrapped tight in a rain-proof sleeve. He laid down flat on his stomach and pulled back the sleeve so the long end of the rifle's barrel was naked. He used the sleeve of his coat to wipe the glass of his scope and then peered through it.

The first sight his eye settled on was the black and red colors of the revolutionary flag. The midnight silhouette of a man was thrusting his arms into the air on a red background; a peculiar shade of red, not one of blood, but of a flower. One hand held a rifle and the other a cornucopia. The man had seen the flag many times before and shifted aimed shifted his aim lower. What he found nearest to him was a grand tent by the base of the hill below him.

_"I'll have to run bloody fast after this" _he thought.

He searched around with the scope until he found his target. A young man, hardly out of boyhood. He wore the red and black uniform of the soldiers the man had been fighting for the last several years. He also wore an officer's hat and a thin mustachio was growing above his lip.

The man exhaled and inhaled slowly, wiped the water from his scope again, and then steeled himself for the shot. He silently hoped that a rogue gust of wind would not suddenly blow by and placed his finger lightly on the cold trigger. He squeezed. Death's shout filled the wet air. The man stopped mid-stride and a deep crimson stain spread from a small hole in his chest.

The man lifted himself from the damp earth as soon as he saw the young officer fall backwards. He clutched the rifle in his hands as he sprinted away from the lonely hill and the shouting men beyond its crest. As the man sprinted through the trees and towards the camp he had come from he prayed that the men who's officer he had just shot would be poor runners.

The man himself was by no means a poor runner, after all he was only a year past thirty. However, his silent prayers must have gone unanswered as he heard shouts and bodies crashing through the thin branches of the trees behind him. The rain continued to drench both the pursued and the pursuers. The man hoped that one of the soldiers attempting to kill him would take an unfortunate fall in the muck he knew was ahead.

As the man's mad dash brought him out of the trees and into a thick field of wheat the ground grew steadily thicker with boot-sucking mud. The wheat was simply not as good as the trees when it came to absorbing moisture from the soil. Thankfully for the man he had scouted his route well the day before and knew to expect the large field and the mud underneath. Luckily it seemed that the men following him had not yet explored this far away from their camp as he heard a shout of pain from behind him.

_"A twisted ankle most likely. That's one fewer of those bastards on my tail" _he thought.

But he was not sure if it would be enough. As he crashed through the dripping stocks of wheat the shouting behind him grew louder. then a rifle went off and he felt the biting sting of a bullet grazing his side. The man attempted to push himself faster and further, but found that his strength was waning. He had assumed that by this point he would have either lost his pursuers or discouraged them enough to discontinue the chase.

His thoughts were just beginning to turn towards spinning around and making a last ditch fight of it when he crashed out of the wheat field and onto the path. A patrol of men wearing the blue and green of the Czar's army jumped back in surprise as he burst among them.

"Rebels... chasing me! Turn and shoot into the fields!" the man ordered between gasping breaths.

The patrol he had stumbled upon were understandably surprised but still turned quickly towards the field, weapons at the ready. Apparently the men he had stumbled upon were veterans of the conflict as they knew to respond quickly to even a strange order. They leveled their rifles and squeezed the trigger until the semi-automatic rifles needed a fresh clip of ten bullets. With ease they unloaded the cartridge in their rifles and loaded in a new one, sending a fresh batch of bullets flying whizzing through the field.

The man had not been able to hear any yells as the men had fired their rifles in the direction of his pursuers. No shots were returned at him, so he assumed that the patrol had shot well. Either way, he was not intent on waiting around for a larger group of pursuers to chase him down.

"Hustle everyone, let's get back to the command tent. You guys can be my escort in case any more of those sons-a-bitches come after me. You'll get out of the rain at the least" he said to the patrol.

The men grinned at him and they trotted back towards the main encampment. After about a half an hour of passing through concealed paths and two checkpoints the man finally reached the camp. The camp was based on a hill that was surrounded by larger, wooded hills which made it a kind of valley. About a hundred men lived in the well organized tents of the royal army. It was a small force in comparison to what the government had mustered before, and was only an advance reconnaissance force. The man was one of the highest ranking soldiers in the group, even if he wore no badge nor held any title.

As he passed through the tents he raised a hand or nodded when soldiers shouted out his name. Before continuing on to the command tent he stopped at one of the small mess tents and found a cook.

"Hey Bern, fire up a pot of the chili for this patrol of guys huh? They saved my sorry skin on the way back from another little skirmish deal. And don't water it down either, give 'em the good stuff" he said just loud enough for the men following him to hear.

"Haha, you got it Rubin. If your sorry ass was finally killed I'd have no one to bargain with the locals for me when Logistics are being a bunch of pricks" the cook replied with a chortle.

Rubin smiled and waved for the men to take a seat at the pair of wooden tables inside the tent. He strode back into the rain and walked through the muddy paths that served as miniature streets in between the tents. He soon reached the center of camp and found himself at the entrance of the largest tent in the camp. It looked just as mud-stained and worn as all of the other faded blue and green tents around, except it was topped with a star.

Rubin passed through the heavy flap that served as an entrance and was greeted with the sound of one of the younger officers speaking to his friends.

"...and I've told ya about Karina ya know? Her parents were all religious and stuff and she bought their line about not being with men until she was married and all that. I don't think she'd ever kissed another fella before we got engaged, it was at that level. Crazy, right? So anyways, fast forward to a month ago and we been married like three years or something, with me in the military for a good half of that time. I got back into our town last month and she meets me at the train station and is acting kinda funny. As soon as she gets in the door she starts tearing off my clothes and then-"

The officer's voice cut-off when he saw Rubin standing in the doorway. His face grew bright red with embarrassment and his friends began to howl with laughter.

"Continue, please. I'd love to hear more" said Rubin with a grin.

_"Hardly more than boys, even the officers. Best to make them laugh while we're still around to laugh" _he thought sadly.

He was about to continue teasing the poor officer when another man walked in through the entrance flap of the tent.

Rubin stood up straighter and raised a hand to his head, a show of respect he did not give lightly.

"Finally, there you are Rubin. I need to speak to you now. Bad news for me and good, I think, for you. The rest of you clear out, I've told you not to use the command tent as a lounge for your gossip before!" Commander Fremont barked.

In less than a minute Rubin was seated across from the man he had fought and strategized with for the past several years. The older man looked tired, but oddly happy as he handed Rubin an envelope that had clearly already been opened.

"I remember when you joined the company Rubin, you were one of a kind with a scope and rifle. Got that funny accent as well, that was a nice touch. You always said that one day you'd need to stop volunteering and leave, so I can't be mad at you and I'd never order you to stay against your will. I owe you too much to do that. And the Czar himself always said you'd be able to leave his service and return whenever you wanted with money and transport. After that siege in the capitol he owes you quite a bit more than that I would say. Never mind that, I'm getting off-topic. I need you to do me one last favor before you read that Rubin. Tell me about your wife again."

Rubin was confused, but he agreed, curious to view the contents of the envelope.

"She was lean with dark red hair. Her name was Catherine. We were sixteen. I loved her from the start and she did too. So much so that she held nothing back from me. My parents kicked me out of the house when they found out she was pregnant, so I got a job and we stayed at her house. Her parents agreed to let me stay as long as I married her and kept working. So I did. You know the long version so well I don't have to give you all the details. Suffice to say those were the best two years of my life. Sure the work was nearly back-breaking and we could barely afford the apartment we started renting, but it worked. We had each other and a newborn baby that was the result of good nights spent in the dark. We weren't particularly well off, but Gods did I love the both of them..."

Rubin trailed off as his vision began to blur slightly with the memories. He wiped them on his still wet sleeve and took a breath.

"What's in the letter Fremont?"

"Open it when you're done with the story Rubin."

"You stubborn bastard" Rubin accused.

"Guilty. Now continue" Fremont answered.

"Well we were in a cab, it was on the way back from a night at the movies. I had left the baby with my brother, he always loved to see her. I don't remember hearing any kind of warning or seeing something as we went through the intersection. All I remember was waking up on the street, somebody had dragged me out of the wreck. The bastard that had hit us wasn't drunk or anything, he had just been speeding and hit a patch of ice. They said he died almost immediately in the crash. Our driver was luckier than that, but he was driven to the hospital in bad shape. Magical healing isn't as simple as being able to just repair bones perfectly like some of the troops believe. Anyways... she died almost instantly as well. They said she probably didn't feel anything."

Again Rubin had to pause. Sometimes he laid awake at night, wondering what he would have said to Catherine if she had lived for just a little longer. It kept him awake more often than nightmares of the war did.

"So... fast forward another two years and I was still working hard trying to raise my baby by myself. Well, that's not true. My brother always helped me out. I swear he loved that girl more than even I did. Anyways, I couldn't do it. Seeing that girl just kept reminding me of what I had lost. So one day I told my brother I was going to leave, travel the world. He promised to keep her with my cousins, who we were also close to. They had a kid not much older, so I thought it would work. That's pretty much it. Now can I see the damned thing?"

Wordlessly Fremont handed him the envelope. Inside was a small note. The penmanship was a familiar, slanted scrawl.

"Rubin,

Things in Vale are getting dangerous. I need you to help me convince her to leave Beacon Academy. The school came under attack and many died. Evil people are emerging from shadows in every nook and cranny of the kingdom. Come home and help me protect your family. For the love you still hold for me and more so for the love you have for Ruby. Come home.

- Qrow"

"I'm going. Now. Today" Rubin declared in a tone that brokered no argument.

"I thought you would say that. There's a ticket for you to get a train that will take you to one of the ports. You'll have to hike your way out of here and avoid getting caught by the rebels on your way. You could easily die, though I doubt that'll stop you from going" Fremont said.

"I've been taunting death for years now. We both have. It's time I go back to what gave my life meaning."


	10. Chapter 10: Girls, Girls, Girls

**A/N: Hey, hey, hey. Happy holidays/winter break y'all. With the break now on I kind of just ended up taking an unplanned hiatus from writing, but I must say that it is good to be back. Don't know where any of you people are, but I hope you see at least some snow, it looks so beautiful. Especially around me, where we have a lot of woods so it looks pretty nice.**

**Another small note, I'm actually reading through the entire story now, which I haven't really done since the first couple chapters. Usually I just reread the chapter I just published, maybe the latest chapter to get a feel where I want to go with the newest chapter. All in all I really enjoy how this story has gone on and am proud to be bringing it to its double-digit chapter, woohoo! **

**I must say that I enjoyed that animated RT Recap they put out some time ago, I thought it was pretty funny. Other than that I've heard nothing about Season 2 or anything, which is probably good because they should spend their time on it and make sure they do it right. Shout out to my sometimes beta reader, who's always Supremo. Love the support you guys have been giving this story and I can only hope that you continue to do so. You keep reading and leaving positive feedback and I'll keep writing more for you. **

**Anyways, good to be back to writing yet another chapter of this ever-growing saga. Looks like the fallout of Weiss's kiss has caused some big fallout, can the girls reconcile it? And Rubin; the German word for the color Ruby, I thought that was quite the clever character name. So what new danger was Qrow hinting to, if Cinder has been defeated?**

**Oh and the lyrics ahead are actually of my own composition, and I suppose in the future they'll be more lyrics written as a part of the plot. If you wanna quote or use that, feel right ahead. If you like them or think they suck, tell me about it in a review. **

**Well, reader, keep on reading to find out. (Enjoy!)**

Chapter 10: Girls, Girls, Girls

_Ruby and Weiss deal with the consequences of their moment of passion, while in the city Roman Torchwick receives a pair of visitors and the body count rises. _

"Get back outside! I'm packing my case and I do not need you looking over my shoulder and getting in my way with your bumbling!" shouted Weiss as soon as her eyes lighted on Ruby.

"No."

"_Excuse me? _I am leaving and that is final. You can't just prevent me from leaving, I've got money enough to convince the administration to have you expelled!" Weiss spat.

Ruby stepped towards her, making sure her face did not betray her shock and anger. Instead she tried to be calm and resolve the issue with Weiss, but she was not sure how long she could hold her own anger back.

"Weiss, I don't care at all about how much money you have or what company you're set to inherit. I do care about you though. You're my friend Weiss, and even with what just happened out there I'm not gonna let you pretend that we haven't bonded as teammates and friends. Let's just sit down and talk about this, stop acting like a spoiled brat."

Weiss recoiled as if a snake had lunged at her.

"You have the nerve to label us friends, and then insult me? I cannot believe I ever considered you a friend Ruby Rose, I made an enormous mistake by staying with this team!"

"Look me in the eyes and say you don't wanna see us ever again and hate me" Ruby said.

She felt reluctant about issuing such an ultimatum, but at the same time Ruby knew that if the argument dragged on much longer she would lose her temper and do more harm than good.

But Weiss never gave up easily, even in a battle of words. She glared at Ruby and set her hands on her hips.

"I, I... grrr, Ruby you are the most troublesome 'friend' I have ever known!" Weiss said, averting her gaze.

"I knew you couldn't say that Weiss. You know that we've been through enough together to get past one teeny-tiny embarrassing moment" Ruby replied, relieved.

"What just happened was _not _a 'teeny-tiny' bit embarrassing. That was mortifying! Yang just opened the door and witnessed us... embracing" Weiss said.

"Admitting that we were kissing is not a taboo, alright Weiss? There's nothing wrong with kissing someone, it's not like we can get in trouble for it."

"Are you certain about that Ruby? Have you ever seen two men or two women in public kissing? Know anyone who married someone of the same sex?" Weiss pressed.

"Well... no, I guess not off of the top of my head I can't remember. But still, that doesn't mean anything. Have you ever heard of a rule against two girls kissing, or two men getting married? You're always raising your hand in Vale History after all" Ruby responded.

Weiss blinked and surprised and began to rub her temples, as if it would help her think better. Ruby folded her over her chest and grinned as Weiss paced around the room. Finally, Weiss stomped a foot on the ground and turned to face Ruby once again.

"I'm not actually sure if I have ever seen anything in my studies against the right to love somebody of the same gender. I'll have to explore the library's collection to see what I can discover..." Weiss admitted.

"Stop being so silly Weiss, of course the government can't stop you from loving someone else. They can only put restrictions on who can marry who, or what people can do when they are alone."

"You do have a point there Ruby, the law does explicitly grant certain freedoms... This is fascinating, I really have to research this" Weiss declared.

"Hey, Weiss, pay attention! We really need to talk about if we're just friends or what, huh? We're at least friends, that's obvious enough. But considering we were just kissing and hugging on your bed not ten minutes ago... Well friends don't really do that, do they?"

"No... no they do not" Weiss agreed.

"So then what are we Weiss? Girl-space-friends or girlfriends, no space?"

"Woah, hold on a second there! You can't just suddenly propose the idea that we're dating Ruby!"

"Well you suddenly decided to kiss me, so it's only fair!" Ruby insisted.

"I... That was... rash of me. Just, let me think about this."

Instead of continuing the argument Ruby decided to attempt a new plan for finding a resolution. She walked to the corner of the room and bent on one knee in front of the stereo on the floor. She plugged her music player in to the stereo's port and hit play on an album by Earth's Maw. Ruby could tell that Weiss was staring at her in curiosity but ignored it as she skipped to the correct track. She set the volume a tiny bit higher and then turned to look at Weiss.

"Don't say a word right now, just listen to the lyrics" Ruby commanded.

Weiss's lips parted, another rebuttal ready to fly, but Ruby glared at her. So, Weiss let out a small huff and put her hands on her hips expectantly.

"_Just another soldier who got killed,_

_Tryin to take some stupid ass hill._

_If I had only let you cool my boilin blood with snow,_

_Maybe doom and violence would not be all that I know."_

Ruby hit the pause button.

"Well, did you hear that Weiss?"

"What on earth are you talking about? you only played the first thirty seconds of the song! There was maybe two lines of lyrics in that entire clip" Weiss replied hotly.

"Those were the only two lines you needed to hear. Well, the second was really the most important but I'm no good at skipping exactly to that point. See, when I try to fast forward the song there's a delay on the button so I always go too far or land short. It's really frustrating and I wish they would change the button so-"

"_Ruby! _We are not here to discuss the button on your music player. You were about to tell me how playing those two lines of song are somehow relevant to our relationship. Now hurry and explain yourself" Weiss said, her foot tapping on the floor.

"Where was I? Oh, right! Well, that line about the soldier's boiling being blood being cooled with snow reminds me of you and I. I'm crazy hyper and I'm always wanting to spar somebody. I wrestled with sheep dogs when I was still shorter than your average dog. When an invasion of Grimm and criminals appeared on the grounds almost out of thin air I was told to lead the theme because I've fought so much. That's... that's not a good attribute to have when trying to become a Huntress. I realize that from seeing Sky Lark die in that blaze of glory."

Ruby spoke unusually calmly, and her constant fidgeting was nowhere to be seen. Weiss was more than a little bit surprised at witnessing such a mature side of Ruby yet again. When battle was thrust upon their team Ruby had shrugged off her usual cheer and quirkiness in favor of seriousness. To see Ruby speaking on such a somber topic so soon came as a shock.

The younger girl clenched and unclenched her fists, breathed, and then continued.

"I understand that the reporters and books will write that 'Glynda Goodwitch was a hero who made the ultimate sacrifice'. I used to think that was the coolest thing in the world, the action heroes who put it all on the line for their family. Of course, those heroes always managed to get out of the exploding building or live through the gunshot in the end. But that's not what it's like for the cops, soldiers, and Sky Larks of the world. I want to grow up and learn to play guitar and do all kinds of stuff."

Ruby shut her eyes tightly and again breathed deeply.

_"I knew this wasn't gonna be easy, but I never thought it would be this hard" _Ruby thought.

"My point is... I'm scared. I'm scared of having what happened to Sky Lark happen to me. If I'm reckless and wild and let my gut make all the decisions than something bad is bound to happen. When we were up there on that roof I felt tempted to do what Sky Lark eventually ended up doing. The reason that I didn't was because I looked around and I saw Blake, Yang, and all the others. And you. I didn't want to get hurt and end up with an injured hand that would never let me play guitar, an injured leg that would leave me with a limp, or something even worse. You help keep me from making stupid, rash decisions. Even if you just want to be friends, I think you're an amazing person Weiss and you're a great influence in my life" Ruby finished.

Now Ruby's heart hammered as she waited for a reply from Weiss. She had kept her newly realized fear locked inside since the end of the battle. Ruby did not have the faintest idea what Weiss would say next, and the longer the silence stretched the more worried she began to be.

_"Maybe I just said too much, maybe I blew my friendship with Weiss, maybe she's gonna move out anyway and is just trying to find a nice way to tell me that she is, maybe-"_

"I... I never expected to hear you articulate something so personal to me. I'm admittedly surprised and touched that you would actually tell me all of that Ruby. I think that I will stay here and with the team. You are a great leader Ruby and an honest, dedicated girl; even if you really frustrate me sometimes. I'm really happy to have you as my friend. I don't know where that kiss came from, or where it will lead us, but I'm not going to abandon this team, or you."

When Weiss finished she smiled and Ruby couldn't help but notice how much she loved looking at Weiss's face.

"You are so beautiful" Ruby blurted.

_"What are you doing Ruby, why did you just say that!? Now it's just gonna get awkward again or she'll get mad at me" _Ruby thought.

But, for once, she was wrong.

"Just because I said we were friends doesn't mean you can flirt with me!" Weiss said.

Her tone was defensive, but the happiness in her eyes betrayed her.

"Well, I think it's past time that we left. After all, the vigil is set to start in only an hour" Ruby said, noting the time.

"I concur, best for us to arrive early to pay our respects. I'm... I'm glad we had this discussion Ruby, it was nice."

Now Ruby smiled brightly, and she turned to open the door to the hallway.

"Wait, one last thing before we go Weiss. I think I have a good name for the band. Tomorrow morning we'll all meet in the band room to start practicing as Winter's Rose. Like it?"

"Hmph, typical of you to decide all on your own for the rest of us. But... it could work. I'm sure we can survey the others and see if they agree. I would vote in favor of it" Weiss replied.

"Good, because soon our name will be all over this school and this city. We're gonna blow the competition right out of the water!" Ruby declared.

"Ruby, what competition are you talking about? It's not like we're in a "Battle of the Bands" competition or anything" Weiss remarked.

Almost as soon as the words had left her lips Weiss realized her mistake.

"That's perfect! A "Battle of the Bands" competition to prove our butt-kicking bands skills! Great idea Weiss!"

Weiss sighed and shook her head. She knew that the school did not, in fact, have any "Battle of the Bands" competition, but she did not want to ruin Ruby's excitement.

Ruby was fairly bouncing up and down know, ideas spewing from her mouth faster than bullets out of an automatic rifle. After a couple minutes Ruby managed to calm herself down and opened the door for Weiss.

"Well princess, after you." ~~~

"Well princess, after you."

Melanie gestured extravagantly for her sister, Miltia, to pass through the door before her. The two twins were headed into the Garnold Judiciary Building located on Royals Street, which was in the heart of the city. The two girls had decided to wear their favorite dresses that day, Miltia wore her dark red dress and Melanie her white one.

Normally their clothing, accessories, hair styles, and make-up differed in some way. For example, if they wore dresses that were the same cut they would be different colors. If one grew their hair out, the other would keep it short. If one picked out a hairpin to wear, the other would use a feather, and so on and so on.

Today, however; the two girls had donned the same accessory. Both Melanie and Miltia wore a red feather in their hair, behind the left ear. The fashion choice was not without meaning. Both feathers had been given to them by their mentor, and they wore it for days that they knew would be fraught with peril and danger. It was a good luck charm the twins, and an omen for any who the twins deemed an obstacle.

"Hello Ladies, welcome to the Garnold Judiciary Building. I need you to place any metallic items or bags on this belt here and then step through the detector please. Afterwards you can proceed to the front desk to state your business" a security guard said.

"Oh sure Mr. Security Guard, whatever you say. I certainly wouldn't want to upset someone as big and strong-looking as you" Melanie purred.

"Err... please, just go through the detector Miss" the man replied.

"Aw you're no fun, never been hit on at work before have you? Oh well, your loss" she teased.

Her sister only sighed and complied with the man's instructions. Neither of the girls carried bags, so all that was required of her was a walk through the detector, which was adept at uncovering metals and spells of concealment.

When Miltia passed through the detector it did not emit a single note of alarm. After she had been waved on her sister strutted through, again triggering no alarm. When Melanie was waved on towards the main desk she laughed to herself and glanced at her sister. Her sister shook her head and put a finger to her lip.

"Always the cautious one eh, sis?" Melanie laughed.

Several people, including a guard or two, looked at them oddly, but nobody spoke up or moved towards them. After all, they had gone through the detector without triggering a single alarm. What harm could two teenage girls possibly inflict?

Melanie lead her sister up to the front desk and spoke to the man working behind the counter.

"Hello, I'm Melanie Malachite, and this is my sister Miltiades, Miltia for short. We're visiting today to visit someone in police custody" she said.

"Hmm... Malachite, was it? I don't see any Malachites here on the roster, who are you hear to visit exactly?" the worker asked.

"A friend of the family, his last name is Torchwick."

"What!? What did you just say!?" the man shouted, panic in his eyes.

"Roman Torchwick, can't you hear anything old man? We're here to visit him" Melanie declared.

"How are you aware that he's being held in this facility!? Guards! Guards!" the man began to yell.

"Melanie, why must you always insist on the grand entrance?" Miltia asked.

"Because I actually like to have fun, unlike you sis. Now come on, the party is starting."

With that Melanie stamped stomped her left foot and then her right one. When each boot struck the ground the plastic casing that had been on her heels fell off, revealing the blades underneath. At the same time Miltia pressed a button located on the wrist of her gloves. A set of red and black claws sprang forth from each glove and Miltia raised her hands.

"What the? All units be aware, armed combatants in the lobby!" one of the guards shouted.

By now the guards had their guns out and had aimed that at the twins, but none of them were eager to be the first to shoot at two teenage girls. That quickly proved to be a grave mistake.

Melanie and Miltia lunged forward at the same time, each at one of the dozen or so guards that surrounded them.

The blade of Melanie's heel cut into one of the guards thighs and the toe of her other boot slammed into the man's face, knocking him unconscious. Then she sprang forward at another guard and her heel slashed her hand. The guard dropped her gun with a gasp of pain and Melanie scooped it from the ground and put a bullet into the kneecap of the nearest guard. She landed vicious kicks on her opponents and used the gun to fire a shot at the arm of a guard who had her in his sights. A bullet tugged at her sleeve and she felt the stinging kiss of the slug as it grazed her arm, but paid it no mind. She pivoted and saw the guard who had hurt her almost instantly. Before he could even squeeze the trigger again her knee smashed into his stomach and he fell to his knees. A round house kick to the skull left him unconscious.

"Hah, what a bunch of losers you are! I've met blonde girls who could do a better job than a hundred of you" Melanie laughed.

At the same time as Melanie had launched her flurry of kicks Miltia had lunged for the nearest guard. The startled look on his face had turned to terror when her claws had pierced his shoulder. She then head-butted him into unconsciousness and ripped her claws from his shoulder. She then dashed to another nearby guard and slashed at his side. His hands went to clutching his sides and he too fell to the ground. After leaving several more guards bleeding, unconscious, or both, Miltia looked around to see that only she and her sister were standing in the room. Any civilians that had been in the room when the fight started had already fled. One of the employees must have the triggered the alarm as white lights began to flash and a sharp, shrill noise began to sound.

"Alright than, I don't think we have much time. Let's go find Torchwick and do our job" Melanie declared.

So the two girls raced through the building. They encountered guards and a few police officers along the way but were able to quickly either knock them senseless or disable them as threats. The twins raced up two flights of steps and down a corridor until they reached a locked door.

"Looks like the intel we got was right, you can do the honors Miltia."

Melanie stabbed sliced at the door and her sister kicked until the metal gave way. The twins climbed through the entrance they had created and found themselves in a small hallway with only a few doors. They walked to the third cell door on the right and peeped through the small slit in the door.

Inside Roman Torchwick was sitting on the ground of an almost completely bare room. He was tossing his hat up and down and whistling to himself.

"Looks like this is it Melanie, you know the spell correct?" Miltia asked her sister.

Melanie nodded and the two of them placed their palms flat to the door.

"_Un rauga ix dregt!_" the two girls chanted together.

The door shimmered for a moment and then collapsed as it was transformed into water. They stepped over the puddle to see Torchwick staring at them, mouth gaping.

"Where the hell did you two learn how to do that?" he muttered.

"The same woman who you work for and who left us orders to rescue you. Now come on, we need to get our ride before we're trapped in here. Come with us" Melanie ordered.

Roman Torchwick was still sore from the numerous healing spells that had been placed on him at such a rush speed. The doctors that had treated him had been going for effective, not comfortable. Still, sore and all, he was ready to risk an escape. He had found that interrogation and threats of never leaving a cell did not suit him well. So, he stood and ran after two girls that he knew only fleetingly.

The three of them sprinted towards down the hallways until they reached the staircase. From there the two girls sprinted up the steps. From below them the three girls could hear the shouts of special police, and the shouts were growing closer. The three criminals continued their ascent until Melanie kicked open a door that said "**Roof Access"**.

"Now what!? This is an awful escape plan!" Torchwick complained.

"There."

Miltia pointed into the sky, where a Bullhead aircraft was approaching them.

"I really love those things" Torchwick said with a grin.

The Bullhead landed seconds later and the three of them jumped on board. As soon as they were on the pilot sped high into the air and came on the intercom.

"Welcome aboard Torchwick, glad to have you along for this ride. I see my nieces were successful in getting you out of there with too you getting killed."

"_Junior? _Well that explains how your nieces here were able to find me, you were always great at finding just the right cops and guards to bribe.I can't believe you were the one to send these two after me. I mean, I know we've had some business ventures before but I did not know that you cared so much to rescue my ass" Torchwick said into the intercom on the wall.

"Don't thank me, thank those two. I swear they were about to pull out the blades if I hadn't agreed to go along with them. Maybe they'll tell you what the hell we're doing or why we're leaving the kingdom" Junior's voice replied.

Torchwick looked over at the girl, intrigued.

"We've heard that you've met Miss Fall's other captains before correct?" Melanie began.

"Miss Fall...?" Torchwick asked.

"You knew her as Cinder" Miltia added.

"We're on our way to meet her other captains at a small home that she owns in lands that others consider to be inhabitable. She left many instructions that are to be followed" Melanie said.

"You mean 'owned', she's dead now. Look, I'm glad that you saved me from a life of prison time and all, but I'm not following a set of dead woman's instructions. What are you two to her anyways, how do you know her?" Torchwick asked.

"Our mentor" Miltia said.

"Our hero" Melanie said.

The two girls traded a look, and then looked at Torchwick.

"We're her great-grandchildren."


End file.
